Praslin residents are being guided in forming their own coastal management and conservation plan, with the help of the Green Islands Foundation (GIF).

 

  

Through a two-day workshop organised last Monday at the island’s Indian Ocean Lodge, around 40 stakeholders from all sectors learned how to manage and conserve their coastal zones.

With these zones already under pressure from various activities, a balance and management plan is seen as one solution for sustainable development.

Using an approach called Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), it provides for the best long-term and sustainable use of coastal resources, while ensuring that the healthiest environment is maintained. A similar project will also be carried out on Denis Island.

The GIF presented Grand Anse district administrator Moses Barbe with equipment comprising a desktop computer, global positioning system, beach profiling and turtle tagging equipment, and waterproof notebook.

 

More equipment, such as an underwater camera and snorkelling sets, are due to arrive soon, with a similar set to be handed over for the Denis island project.

The entire project, which will last 18 months, kicked off in March and is being funded by the European Union through the Regional Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Coastal Zones of the Countries of the Indian Ocean (Recomap).

With consultations held from March 11 to 13, the GIF established that with tourism as the main economic activity along the Grand Anse-Amitie coast, five key concerns would be put on the priority list – erosion, tourism intensity, water quality, turtle monitoring and beach cast.
 
The second day saw mainly training for stakeholders and volunteers on environmental monitoring methods and protocols. This included presentations and exercises on turtle identification, legislation and monitoring, erosion of the Praslin coast, beach profiling protocols and water quality as an indicator of the environmental status.
 
Local Recomap ICZM officer Jude Bijoux gave a presentation, in which he explained the effects if we do not manage the coast properly, such as a loss of biodiversity in terms of number of species, and a loss of ecosystem processes like reproduction and migration.

Other effects include loss of revenue from coastal resources, such as having fewer tourists or less fish, socio-economic problems including a lack of work, lack of food and the continuing degradation of our planet.

The inclusivity of the project will ensure that as many stakeholders as possible have a say in the moves to come and, more importantly, it will be a plan drawn up by the residents from which they will benefit.

 

Forrás:http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=19699