Socio-Economic Monitoring Assessment of Coastal Management in the Colihaut, Dublanc and Bioche Villages of Dominica
Socio-economic monitoring assessment of coastal management in the Colihaut, Dublanc and Bioche villages of Dominica ALTHIA ST. LOUIS, DERRICK THEOPHILE, JULLAN DEFOE, RHIANNAN PRICE AND ROSETTE LEWIS Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) University of the West Indies, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences Cave Hill Campus, Barbados 2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Coastal management has justifiably become a priority throughout the world. The ecological and economic value of coastlines, reefs, beaches, fisheries, and marine life cannot be underestimated as the steady degradation of natural resources prevails worldwide. To avoid complete loss of such resources, decisions that impact the fragile coastal ecosystem must be carefully determined by the gamut of stakeholders. Sustainable development has delineated guidelines for improved management, but the process to sustainability is thwarted by a lack of information and conflicting stakeholder agendas. An inherent lack of information makes socio-economic monitoring an important key in determining the most effective management strategies. Accounting for social, cultural, and economic influences strengthens the decision-making process by giving it a more accurate, holistic approach. Often, these influences are remembered only as they are passed down generation to generation, and subsequently, this anthropological information can be lost as values and traditions shift or change over time. The strength of the socio-economic assessment is the preservation of these important social and cultural values, not in isolation, but in tandem with equally significant factors such as economics and scientific data. The purpose of this study is to preserve a social, cultural, and economic portrait of three coastal communities so that existing and future scientific data can be useful for their sustainable development.
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