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Community
based responses to coastal erosion
Coastal erosion
is a national and regional concern in the Caribbean, as well as
in other regions. The causes are related to natural phenomena,
such as hurricanes and storms, and man-induced effects, such as
sand mining and unwise building practices. Other long-term causes
relate to climate change and climate variation, e.g. sea level
rise and changes in hurricane frequency and intensity. The problem
is magnified in the Caribbean where tourism, a vital industry,
is also dependent on beaches. As a result there is considerable
national and regional interest focused on tourism beaches, and
this is where the limited funding available is often directed.
However, many communities face the same problems of erosion
and there is a need to focus on what actions communities can take
to reduce and mitigate the erosion problem.
The south
coast of Havana Province in Cuba, provides an example of several
different community responses to coastal erosion within a small
area and was therefore chosen as the venue for a workshop to explore
ways in which island communities could work together to combat
this serious problem.
A workshop
was held from 24-27th February 2004, and the participants from
the Caribbean islands developed a proposal
for Building community resilience to coastal erosion in small
islands. Ways to fund this proposal are currently being explored.
Some of the
ways island communities are combating coastal erosion include:
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