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CIVIL SOCIETY PROCESS ON THE REVIEW OF THE BARBADOS PROGRAMME
OF ACTION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES REPORT OF THE FIRST WORKSHOP OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY
PROCESS ON BARBADOS + 10, OCTOBER 3-5, 2003 1.0 BACKGROUND
In 1994, the international community convened in Barbados to address specific issues for sustainable development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Agenda 21 that was adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992 is the platform and the guide for the quest for sustainable development and it recognised the special case for sustainable development of SIDS. One of the outcomes of the Global conference on Sustainable Development for SIDS took the form of a Programme of Action for sustainable development known as the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA).
The BPoA addresses the general issues of SIDS in sustainable development and elaborates fourteen priority areas on development and environment for SIDS. The programme identifies the actions, the policies and measures that are necessary at the national, regional and international level. At national level, among others the following measures are proposed: establishment of institutions, policies, ratification of international conventions, and development of strategies, formulation of laws and community participation. At a regional level, the actions are supposed to take the following forms: exchange of information, technologies and knowledge, promotion of technology transfer, support to national efforts by providing technical assistance and training. At an international level the focus is on the dissemination of information, knowledge, technologies, research, training, capacity building, implementation of international conventions, and support for national and regional level. Although, the BPoA recognizes that the primary responsibility for implementation rests with the governments of the SIDS, Agenda 21 recognizes the role of major groups in the implementation of sustainable development policies and in paragraph 23.2 of Agenda 21 it is explicitly stated that ‘One of the fundamental prerequisites for the achievement of sustainable development is broad public participation in decision making’. In line with this perspective, the CEDREFI has taken the initiative to start a civil society process in the context of the international meeting of the Small Islands Developing States on the review of the Barbados + 10 that is scheduled in Mauritius from August 29 to September 3, 2004. The International Meeting offers a valuable opportunity for the civil society stakeholders of SIDS to contribute in the reviewing of the implementation of policies, programmes, projects and establish the linkage with the national, regional and international agenda of SIDS. The process will consist of analysing the situation at policy level, seek information and think critically and creatively in order to be able to develop a civil society perspective around the emerging issues. The review will create conditions to evaluate civil society participation in the sustainable development process to galvanize political awareness and put pressure on governments, private sector and civil society to take new commitments for the future. More specifically the purpose of the process is to contribute to the consolidation of existing work by civil society organisations, to develop a civil society perspective and a common position that can be presented at the international meeting. 2.0 The Workshop The first phase of the civil society process took the form of a regional residential workshop that was held in Mauritius from October 3 to 5, 2003 with the support of Small Islands Voice of UNESCO. The workshop was the official launching of the process and it brought together participants from the small islands of the Indian Ocean region namely Comoros, Reunion, Maldives, Mauritius and Rodrigues. The major groups that participated in the workshop were small planters, the fishermen community, small producers, youth, human rights groups, trade unions, NGOs working with children, youth groups, and the traditional NGOs concerned with sustainable development. A few governmental institutions namely the Ministry of Environment, the Mauritius Oceanographic Institute, the National Economic and Social Council, the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council and the Indian Ocean Commission also attended the workshop. A list of participants is included in Annex I. The workshop was opened by the Minister of Environment, Hon Rajesh Baghwan. Hon Bhagwan was very appreciative of this initiative from civil society and laid emphasis on the importance of the International Meeting to review the Barbados + 10 at the end of August 2004. He made an overview of some of the initiatives of his ministry and indicated that they have just set up a National Committee on Integrated Coastal Zone Management to ensure a proper management of the coastal zone. Mr. Pynee A. Chellapermal also addressed the gathering and called for a new form of partnership between NGOs in the context of the review of the BPoA. Mr. Chellapermal also highlighted the problems that the Mauritian fishermen community is facing and called on the Government for the development of an economic and social integration programme for the fishermen community at a time when their livelihood is at stake. The Objectives of the Workshop · To stir and steer strategic thinking towards sustainable development of SIDS from a civil society perspective · To address new challenges which have emerged since 1994. · To focus on the specificities and vulnerabilities of small islands in the review process · To promote the active participation of the NGOs and major groups in developing a culture of sustainable development in a SIDS perspective · To develop a common position on the priority issues such as the specificities and vulnerabilities of islands with special reference to climate change, trade issues and the interplay between tourism and integrated coastal zone management. · To review participation of stakeholders and major groups in the sustainable development process in Mauritius · To develop dialogue among the civil society stakeholders · To create an enabling environment for the stakeholders to carry the process forward and if need be to develop any additional participatory processes. Issues that were addressed In the context of this workshop, it was decided to focus on · The interplay between sustainable tourism and integrated coastal zone management · Trade and sustainable development for island economies · Specificities and vulnerabilities of islands · Climate Change · Regional Cooperation and Barbados + 10. · The challenge of major group participation in the implementation of the Barbados Plan of Action · Common political positions for Mauritian civil society · Strategy up to the international review of the BPoA. 3.0 The Issues The regional workshop was an opportunity to focus on the national experience of the other SIDS of the Indian Ocean in the context of the Barbados Programme of Action. Prior to the panel discussion, Mr. S. Seeballuck, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment made an overview of the Barbados + 10 review. He laid emphasis on the importance of civil society participation in the process. He made a very brief overview of the main chapters of Barbados + 10 and the progress that Mauritius has made in terms of legislative framework and institutional development. He
also shared with us the major milestone leading to the International
Meeting namely the regional meeting of the AIMS region in Cape Verde
in November 2003, the Inter-regional meeting scheduled in the Bahamas
at the end of January 2004 and CSD 12 in New York in mid April 3.1 Session I The first session was focused on an overview of BPoA in countries represented at the workshop. The members of the panel were:
3.1.1 Mohamed
Anwar, VESHI, Maldives, Issues Relating to the Maldives Land Loss and Beach Erosion
Over 80% of the land area of the Maldives is less than 1m above sea level. The population of the Maldives is scattered amongst 199 islands most of which are very small and less than 1km square. The patterns of highly dynamic and directional shifts within the shoreline depend on the seasons and contribute to island erosion. As the islands are small in size, beach erosion is a significant threat to infrastructure and livelihoods. The economy is mainly based on tourism and today there are over 80 tourist resort-islands in the Maldives. Out of these about 45% of resort islands suffer some degree of erosion. Maldives does not have a cultural tourism trend that it can promote and the main selling point for Maldivian tourism its natural beauty, beaches and the tranquil sea. Thus erosion has a major effect on the outlook of the resorts as it diminishes the natural beauty value of the resorts. The environmental impact on the economy can mainly be translated into impact to the tourism and the fisheries sectors. Bleaching and damage to the reefs has a direct impact on tourism especially as a lot of tourists who come to the Maldives, do come to enjoy the natural underwater beauty, reefs and marine life which inhabit the Maldives. As resorts are built on the island concept, the natural beauty of the island itself plays a huge part in creating the eco-tourism atmosphere. Maldives has become well known for its ‘beach holidays’ and thus erosion of the beaches is becoming an urgent problem facing the industry. Fisheries, which is the other main industry contributing to the Maldivian economy is also effected by climatic changes. Tuna which is the main catch of Maldivian fishermen are a migratory species and if the Maldivian seas become an unfavourable habitat they will undoubtedly move out to a more favourable habitat, the impact would be devastating to the Maldivian fisheries industry. As the population of the Maldives is scattered around 199 islands, transportation and storage of food items is a difficult issue. Imported food items are stored in the capital, Male’ and are distributed throughout the country by local entrepreneurs using mainly boats. Most of these islands do not have proper storage facilities for these items and thus, these ‘supply trips’ have to be made quite often, sometimes even weekly depending on demand. Therefore if there is a storm and the supply boats could not operate, then there would be a period of short supply of basic food items during the stormy seasons. 3.1.2 Eric Blais, Sustainable Reef Fisheries Development
for Rodrigues, Shoals of Rodrigues, Rodrigues Eric Blais made a presentation of the project on sustainable reef fisheries. An overview of the state of fisheries was presented together with the lessons drawn from this project. The continuous 90 km of fringing reef surround the island of Rodrigues has constituted a lagoon of over 240 square kilometers in area. Fishing is one of the largest employment sectors and is extremely important to the local community. However, fisheries are in serious decline. Overfishing is the main cause of decline for both octopus and finfish catches. The techniques used by the fishers such as large net fishers and trampling and deliberate breakage cause substantial damage to the coral and algal habitats. The development of strategies for the management of marine resources is therefore essential and urgent in order to protect marine biodiversity and habitats and sustain the livelihoods and long-term security of fishers. In this context the Rodrigues Regional Assembly has established a Coordinating Committee for Fisheries and Marine Resources which has brought together all stakeholders. The Shoal of Rodrigues has conducted a preliminary assessment of the potential of marine reserves as a tool for marine conservation and sustainable resource use in Rodrigues. Discussion meetings at 18 villages demonstrated that the local community understands the threats to its marine environment and that support for the establishment of reserves as a solution to environmental degradation is high. The establishment of marine reserves as a tool for the protection of marine biodiversity and sustainable management of fisheries is clearly within the context of the Barbados Programme of Action. The most relevant parts of the BPoA are obviously Section IV concerned with coastal and marine resources and Section IX on biodiversity resources. Awareness raising has taken place in fishing communities to address the issue of reef and lagoon ecology, impacts on the marine ecosystem, and measures that mitigate against this damage. Education campaigns have also included programmes for children and young people and the wider public has been reached through the local media. The principal lesson of this project is the collaboration between Government and NGOs which is a very effective means of developing strategies for resource management initiatives. Bringing together different agencies allows different perspectives and expertise to be used in the evolution of the strategy and provides access to different sectors of the community. The second lesson is that stakeholder consultation is a vital part of the process to develop effective strategies for resource management. It is the local community who use and impact the resources on a daily basis. In order to change the way people use their natural environment, their understanding and support for new measures must be secured in order to ensure that the strategies are effective. 3.1.3 Richard Payendee, Wildlife Rodrigues, Rodrigues,
MWF and Rodrigues, MWF work and the Barbados Program Richard Payendee pointed out at the outset that the management and conservation work that is being implemented started prior to the Barbados Programme of Action. This is because there was a need for such programme in Rodrigues, otherwise a lot more degradation of the natural ecosystem would have occurred. Yet it must be stressed that the activities of the MWLF is fully in line with the BPoA. Rodrigues’ branch was launched with the mission of ensuring the survival of Rodrigues’ forests and unique species for future generations. Richard Payendee made an overview of the programmes and projects in the field of biodiversity in Rodrigues which are funded mostly by foreign donors. These projects/ programmes covers the following aspects: sustainable use of endemic plants, tree planting project, environmental education, restoration of Rodriguan flora in nature reserves, pilot coastal restoration project, Rodrigues endemic nursery and fauna conservation. The MWF is part of an Awareness Committee of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly which groups all the different NGOs together with the Government departments of the island. This partnership has created a new working environment that will be beneficial to the future development of Rodrigues.
The constraints that these programmes have faced are: The surface of the island is mostly barren hillsides, either dotted with trees or covered with an exotic, usually monotypic scrub or thicket and few areas are under mixed or degraded exotic forest. Among these plants lie the water greedy plant such as eucalyptus, which of course are adversely affecting the quality of life for Rodriguans, as water is very important for life. Consequently these plants have to be removed but as the honey sector depends heavily on eucalyptus, it is difficult to implement such policy. Exotic species are so easily able to invade and dominate new habitats and displace native species because of the absence of their natural predators in the new habitat to control their population growth. In Rodrigues, there are more exotic species than natives and the list keeps growing. The time has come to decrease or even stop these introductions for the better conservation of the native flora and fauna. The main actions against the introduction of exotic species are education and awareness, prevention measures and a legal framework. Introduction of species can become invasive because species are normally introduced without their natural pests and diseases and have a greater reproductive potential than the natives. Some plants within the same family and genus can hybridise with the natives and therefore negatively affect the biodiversity of the region. New pests and diseases can be introduced along with the plant itself or through the environment in which it is growing. Consequently, education should foster awareness of the potential threat that introduced species pose to natural ecosystems. The MWF is already engaged in this type of activity but it needs to be strengthened. To be on the safe side, it is better to avoid any introduction and multiplication of exotic species other than cash crops. Before introducing any species, it is important to study basic biology and potential invasive hazard and assess the ecology of the relevant natural habitats together with the likelihood of the plant hybridising with native species. Particular care should be taken with islands and other isolated habitats, for instance by insisting that visitors observe strict hygiene such as removing seeds from shoes, clothing and tents. The preventions must be built on existing educational awareness and legislation. The legal framework should exert strict control through permits. However, this should be done in partnership with other stake holders like the Forestry Service and NGOs. The alternative approach is to prohibit the introduction of all non-native plants unless the importer can show that the plant will not cause problems to the ecosystem. Unfortunately, plants are more likely to be placed on the black list after they have become serious problems.
3.1.4 Mohamed Hamidou, President of Association de Developpement
et l’Environnement (AIDE), COMOROS Mohamed Hamidou made an overview of the sustainable development policies in the Comoros. A legal and institutional framework has been set up. The marine and coastal ecosystem is made up primarily of sand beaches, mangroves, coral reefs, marine algae, rocky coast, caves of Coelacanths and islets. He laid emphasis on the legislative and institutional development that has taken place in the Comoros. He also stressed how the Indian Ocean Commission has been instrumental in the development of some of the environmental programme in the Comoros like the reef network and fruit flies. However, NGOs are mostly doing voluntary work in the Comoros and this is a serious challenge for them to sustain their work. Discussions The discussion laid emphasis on the commonalities among the islands of the Indian Ocean on issues like biodiversity, climate change, beach erosion and renewable energy. The issue of over-fishing was raised and it was pointed out the islands have to draw lessons from the situation in Rodrigues. In this context, the over-exploitation of the lagoon in Mauritius and the issue of pollution was raised and information was shared on the current situation of the artisanal fishermen and how their livelihoods are being challenged without any alternative policies for their socio-economic integration. The weakness of regional cooperation in the context of BPoA was addressed and it was pointed out that it is vital to have a long term vision at a regional level in order to ensure the monitoring of implementation. Cultural specificity was highlighted and it was pointed out that since the granting of autonomy to Rodrigues there is more scope for stakeholders’ participation in policy making and implementation.
3.2
Session II Sustainable Tourism and Integrated Coastal Zone Management This session saw the participation of three resource persons namely:
3.2.1 Thierry Chateau, Journalist, at the outset situated his communication in the context of a reflection on the development of tourism on the coastal zone of an insular country. He stressed that he will limit himself to the case of Mauritius. He started by arguing that the coastal zone has become sensitive with more and more hotel development. Sustainable tourism The focus of the argument of Thierry Chateau could be summarized as follows: Sustainable tourism as a concept does not have any meaning in Mauritian context. If tourism is an engine of development, it has rather adopted an industrial approach that is not sustainable so long as the environment and the natural areas are concerned. The hotel complexes have been imported and imposed on the coastal areas at high cost. The cleansing of the lagoon by the hotel has become a regular practice in order to satisfy the international norm of the hotels. In fact what are considered as impurities are the algae and the corals which are removed in order to create bathing zones. As far as integrated coastal zone management is concerned, it remained a theoretical concept. There is no integrated coastal zone management in Mauritius. It exists in the form of documents. If it really exists, there would not have been a multiplication of hotels on acres of beaches. Instead there would have been a real dialogue with the local population on the coastal zone development and more protected areas in the lagoon than the two marine parks. In Mauritius, there are currently 95 hotels which represent 9,600 rooms. Most of the hotels are situated directly on the beach not far from the sea. The construction of new hotels are underway with four big projects and especially the construction of luxurious villas in the context of the integrated resort scheme, a programme of transformation of agricultural lands or land situated on the coastal areas into residential zones with golf courses and recreational areas. The construction of hotels is a great consumer of lands in the south, in the south west and monopolises acres of land and contributes to deforestation, the privatisation of the beaches and the erection of leisure infrastructures on the beaches and in the lagoon. In brief, it reduces the natural and public space. Various groups, however, have raised their voices against this type of development -- fishermen, villagers, ecologists, the ordinary citizens and NGOs. At the level of sustainable tourism, the theoreticians of hotel development in concert with the hotel promoters and the politicians claim the advantages of such development in terms of employment creation and wealth. But at what cost? And the employment creates only low paid jobs such as maids and barmen. However, there is a need to propose an alternative tourism policy closer to the spirit of travel, of discovering a country and the people, than an artificial beach with a room at Euro 1000 per night. Such type of development, if it is maintained anyway, must not be done in the vicinity of the beach or in already built areas. A more participatory tourism focusing on small entrepreneurs and small tourism enterprises would be more human, less destructive and less ‘aseptic’. As far as the coastal zone management is concerned, there must be a complete review. The recommendations of studies on this issue are not publicized and they are not implemented. In the end what do we integrate? Has the hotel to adapt to the environment or vice versa? The hotel industry must integrate itself to the natural, physical and human environment, and not vice versa. It is time for the civil society to react to this state of affairs and to resist collectively this imposed industrial tourism development.
3.2.2
A Case Study for Ecotourism and Conservation, Pierre Baissac Mauritian
Wildlife Foundation A case study of ecotourism on Ile aux Aigrettes was presented by Mr Pierre Baissac, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Ile aux Aigrettes is a small 26 hectare island in the Mahebourg Bay in the south of Mauritius. The islet is the last refuge of the dry, coastal forest, an ecosystem once common around much of coastal Mauritius but lost through the action of man. In 1965, Ile aux Aigrettes was declared a Nature Reserve to save this last remnant of not only Mauritian, but also Mascarene coastal forest. Already by then the islet had become a damaged ecosystem with much pressure on the native species. In 1985, the MWLF started restoration work through a weeding programme to eradicate introduced invasive plants and today nearly 90% of the island has been weeded and replanted with native plants. Up to now 20 endangered endemic plant species have been introduced to the island and in 1991 the rats, cats and mongooses were successfully eradicated paving the way for further work. Gradually native animals, once known to have existed on the island, such as Pink Pigeons, Giant Aldabran tortoises and a clawed lizard have been reintroduced. Tourism development started in 1995 and the following objective was adopted: ‘Promote ecotourism, as a means to raise public awareness, generate income and employment and to contribute towards the sustainable development of Mauritius and Rodrigues.’ Its operational objective is ‘to maintain and extend facilities for visitor access and recreation and interpretation while fostering ecotourism and public awareness of nature conservation’. Ile aux Aigrettes was opened to tourists in 1997 and its Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan set the guidelines for tourism development on the island. This to ensure that Ile aux Aigrettes provides a high quality visitor experience whilst preserving the area’s fragile environment. The tour of the island is not only confined to the natural environment but also includes an historical dimension. This has created the opportunity to relate the historical past of Mauritius to the natural history of the island. This is a fairly unique feature and has both important pedagogical and tourist value. The basis of tourism lies in the desire of visitors to experience the natural and cultural attractions of a particular destination. Ecotourism, unfortunately, has been an ill-used and abused term. In this context a distinction has to be made between nature tourism and ecotourism. Nature tourism is concerned with the enjoyment of nature whereas ecotourism generally requires a contribution to conservation.
Benefits
of Ecotourism Ecotourism is one of the most important ways in which money can be generated to manage and protect natural habitats and species Ecotourism can offer a means by which people’s awareness of the importance of conservation and ecological literacy can be raised, whether those tourists are domestic or international Ecotourism can enable local people to gain economically from the protected area with which they live. Protected areas cannot coexist in the long term with communities which are hostile to them. Ecotourism can be used to build essential local support as well as providing significant financial resources for the conservation organisation managing the site. Conservation is sustainable in the long term only if the people who are supposed to benefit from these programmes know, understand and appreciate the conservation efforts undertaken. Also the quality of nature based tourism is closely linked to the level of interpretation and the quality of information presented to tourists. 3.2.3
Integrated Coastal Zone Management, S. Mooloo, Department of Environment S. Mooloo made an overview of the policy of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) for Mauritius. Recently, an ICZM Committee has been set up. The coastline of Mauritius is 322 km, and 41.9 km of the coastline are occupied by hotels while the public beaches occupy 26.6 km of coastline. In terms of percentage the coastal distribution is as follows: 16% by bungalow sites, 14% by hotel sites and 9% by public beaches. Beach-related tourism is a major revenue earner and contributed 13% of GDP in 2001. The number of tourists amounted to 660,300 in the same year while employment increased to 19,944 and indirect employment totalled 40,000. The coastal issues raised in the context of the ICZM policy are:
An overview of the negative environmental impacts was done and a summary is presented:
The challenges facing the coastal and marine environment are as follows:
Discussions After the presentation, the following issues were raised: The whole issue of conservation must be seen from a long term perspective that is over 50 years period or more. The Mauritius Wildlife Fund has funding problems as it depends heavily on local and foreign grants. A hotel tax is charged on each tourist staying in a hotel and this tax is credited to the Environmental Fund of the Ministry of Environment. The type of jobs created in the tourism sector was raised and it was argued that most of the jobs offered are low paid such as barman and maid. There is a need to make Mauritius, not a coconut tree destination, but a destination of high repute for its fauna and flora. Hotels are being built too near the shoreline. These hotels occupy the best part of our beaches. It is proposed that in future hotel construction should not be undertaken near the sandy beaches. Apparently this issue is under consideration at Governmental level. The case of Rodrigues was raised as a new tourist destination and it was argued that what has happened in Mauritius could happen in Rodrigues. There is the need to start a reflection on the issue of the type of tourist model for Rodrigues. The development of community tourism in Moheli Island in Comoros was highlighted as an alternative tourism policy. Wetlands are a very critical issue in Mauritius and in the region of Grand Bay in the northern part of the island, 75% of wetlands have been lost due to lack of awareness and political will. On the west coast of Mauritius, 15% of wetlands have been destroyed. The question of carrying capacity from an environment and cultural point of view for the tourism sector is a challenge for certain SIDS of the Indian Ocean like Mauritius. Due to pollution of the lagoon from various sources, the livelihood of the artisanal fishermen is at stake. The challenge is now to have a more balanced development on the coast without jeopardizing the economic interests of all stakeholders while ensuring that the Mauritian population can continue to have access to the living lagoon and white sand beaches of the island. 3.3 Session III Climate Change and Sea Level Rise This session was chaired by Shyam Reedha of Institute of Child’s Right and had as members of the panel Rajoo Ragoonaden, Consultant, CEDREFI, Mauritius and Mohamed Anwar from VESHI, Maldives 3.3.1 Rajoo Ragoonaden is currently working as a consultant at CEDREFI on a Pilot Project on Awareness Raising at Grand River South East, Mauritius, with the financial support of GEF/SGP of UNDP. This project aims at changing the mind set of the villagers in the rational use of resources such as electricity, water and the generation of domestic garbage. Rajoo Ragoonaden explained the science of climate change and how global warming is contributing to the greenhouse effect and how the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane produced by human activities are impacting on climate and produce extreme weather events. Other impacts of climate change are more intense cyclones and sea level rise. These impacts have the following consequences:
At the national level, Mauritius has been among the first signatory of the UNFCCC and has set up a National Climate Committee in 1991. Up to now, the country has prepared and submitted to the UN its Initial National Communication and its Climate Change Action Plan. The on-going activities have taken the form of a national capacity self assessment project and technology needs assessment. Barbados Programme of Action In the context of the Barbados Programme of Action, a special role is recognized for NGOs in partnership with the public and private sectors in improving public and political understanding of the potential impacts of climate change. It is also stated that at national level, promotion should be made for a more ‘efficient use of energy resources in development planning and use appropriate methods to minimize the adverse effects of climate change on the sustainable development of those resources’. Attention of participants was also drawn on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Articles 4. (I) and 12 which state that “all parties shall promote and cooperate in education, training and public awareness related to climate change and encourage the widest participation of stakeholders including that of NGOs” in the process. The Pilot Project on Awareness Raising In the context of climate change, Mr Ragoonaden shared with participants the experience of an on-going project on awareness raising in a village on the eastern coast of Mauritius called Grand River South East. This project has received the financial support of GEF/SGP of UNDP. The project aims at changing the mind set of the inhabitants of the villagers in the use of resources such as electricity, |