Living Shorelines - Beach and Shoreline Protection

Beach and Shoreline ProtectionLiving ShorelinesJudi Clarke, CARIBSAVE

Innovators Think Tank: Climate Change and Costal and Marine TourismJuly 22-24, 2015

Presentation Outline

Beach and Shoreline Protection - Living ShorelinesInnovators Think Tank: Climate Change and Costal and Marine Tourism

The living shoreline

The context of the coastal zone

Impacts on the coastal zone

Measures being implemented

What about the future?

The Living Shoreline

More than just infrastructure at riskEcosystems, natural resourcesLivelihoods


The Context of the Coastal Zone in the CaribbeanExisting non-climate stressors and cumulative impactsHeavily developed coastlines which support a large percentage of the socio-economic activity within a countryLittle or no option for retreat for coastal (especially tourism) facilitiesHigh degree of vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surge


Impacts on the Coastal Zone

Other damage from storms

Barbados Coastal Erosion October 2010

Antigua Coastal Erosion October 2010

Damage from storm surge and erosion

Beach and Shoreline Protection Living ShorelinesInnovators Think Tank: Climate Change and Costal and Marine Tourism

Impacts on the Coastal ZoneFindings from 2010 CARIBSAVE Study

Beach and Shoreline Protection Living ShorelinesInnovators Think Tank: Climate Change and Costal and Marine Tourism

Tourism asset Effect of 1m SLR Effect of 2m SLR

Large resorts At least USD149 multi-million dollar tourism resorts damaged or lost

At least USD233 multi-million dollar tourism resorts damaged or lost

Beaches Beach assets lost or greatly degraded at many tourist resorts

Beach assets lost or greatly degraded at most tourist resorts

Airports Loss or damage to 21 CARICOM airports

Loss or damage to 31 CARICOM airports

Sea turtle nesting sites

Flooding of approximately a third of known nesting beaches

Flooding of approximately half of known nesting beaches

Simpson et al. (2010).

Impacts on the Coastal ZoneFindings from 2010 CARIBSAVE Study

Vulnerability of Belize City, Belize to SLR (1 to 6m)Vulnerability of Montego Bay, Jamaica to SLR (1-6m)


Impacts on the Coastal ZoneOverview of Modelling Climate Change Impacts in the Caribbean Region with Contribution from the Pacific Islands (2009)

Modelling the Transformational Impacts and Costs of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise in the Caribbean (2010)


Impacts on the Coastal Zone

Loss of coastal protectionLoss of livelihoods dependent on nearshore fisheries and healthy reefs

Coral bleaching

2005 Coral bleaching event, Caribbean


Measures Being ImplementedTo protect built infrastructure

Coastal engineering (Barbados)Building standards and regulationsSoft engineering for long-term protection

South Coast Board Walk, Barbados


Measures Being ImplementedTo protect ecosystem and livelihoods

Coral transplantation/restoration (Dominican Republic, Bluefields Bay Jamaica, Mustique, Saint Lucia) Mangrove replantation (Caye Caulker, Belize)Capacity building in sustainable and alternative livelihoods (coral gardeners, sea moss farming, tour guides)

Mangrove Replantation, Caye Caulker, Belize


What About the Future?


What about the Future?Hard engineering for quick fixes but must be socially and environmentally responsibly designedSoft engineering for longer term adaptation

Ridge-to-reef approachEcosystem-based adaptationAwareness and capacity building amongst:

EngineersPlannersPolicymakersUsers of resources in the coastal zone


What about The Future?

Data and information on risk, assessment of risks and adaptations should be more readily available to stakeholdersISO13009 International Standard on Beach services (http://www.sustainableseas.co.uk/oceans-and-coast

s/


http://www.sustainableseas.co.uk/oceans-and-coasts/

http://www.sustainableseas.co.uk/oceans-and-coasts/

Call to Action…Think Tankers!


All of the approaches mentioned previously are being done somewhere!Knowledge-sharing

Publish successes and ‘failures’Exchange visitsTechnology transfer

Coordinated approach across countries where that worksIndependent efforts where necessary

Environment

Living Shorelines - Beach and Shoreline Protection