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The Barbados Coastal Management Plan

The Barbados Coastal Conservation Programme (1996-98) resulted in the coastal management plan for Barbados which exists in three (3) volumes: 1) Policy Framework; 2) Atlantic Coastal Management Plan (Halcrow 1998a, 1998b); 3) Caribbean Coastal Management Plan (1999). The plans are all linked by the following two (2) strategic and associated policy objectives (Halcrow 1998a):

Strategic Objective 1 Sustainability

• The sustainable use of the coastal management area by the implementation of policies designed to maintain and enhance environmental quality and promote enabling economic development.

This is proposed for achievement through the following policy objectives:

• Application of standards and procedures to negate environmental degradation.
• To seek compatibility between economic activity and environmental interests at the coast.
• Management conservation and enhancement of the heritage, quality and cultural character of the coastal environment.
• Management and preservation of the dynamic nature of the coast and the recognition of such in the decision making process.

Strategic Objective 2- - An effective framework for implementation

• The establishment of an effective legal institutional and administrative framework to implement ICZM.

This is proposed for achievement through the following policy objectives:

• Focus on integration and coordination through the development of effective inter-linkages with the public and private sector to respond to coastal management issues.
• To raise awareness and actively encourage public participation in all stages of the coastal management process.
• To promote research education and training across all governmental and non-governmental levels on coastal related issues.
• To secure adequate financial resources to sustain the ICM process successfully and to use those resources in the most cost effective way.

The Role of the Barbados CZMP

With in the body of the CZM Act is the requirement for the preparation of a CZMP and an order delimiting a CZM Area. Given the contrasting shorelines of the Atlantic and Caribbean (east and west coasts respectively) coastlines, two plan documents have been developed. Both provide detailed guidance for the management of coastal uses, development and regulation along the shoreline (Halcrow 1999). Within each plan it is clearly identified that environmental management is a key requirement for the continued sustainable development of Barbados , however, there is a need for greater development control within a defined CZM area. Within this area, planning permission may only be granted if the proposals are consistent with the policies set out in the relevant plan (Halcrow 1998).

The CZM area has been identified to be wide enough to influence the main activities and uses, which affect the coastal environment. Along the Caribbean coast the boundary for the area is defined as follows:

1. Landward: the first coastal road or the limit of the predicted 100-year storm surge modeling or which ever is further inland (Delcan 1995). This boundary is of significance since the coastal road has been traditionally used as the boundary when considering coastal development applications by the TCPO.
2. Seaward: The 100m isobath or 200m seaward of the outer edge of the bank reef or which ever is further seaward. This area therefore includes the coastal sand reserves and the reef environments that produce them. Also included within this area are the nearshore ecosystems most easily influenced by land-based effects (Halcrow 1998).

For the Atlantic coast the landward boundary of the CZM area follows main roads near the coast and geomorphological landscape features found along the area. The seaward boundary runs along the 100m isobath, which demarcates the shelf/slope boundary, found approximately 1-2 km offshore (Halcrow 1998)

Functionally the CZMP is designed to work in tandem with other island wide environmental policy and programme documents (e.g. 1998 draft Physical Development Plan and 1998 draft Environmental Management Plan) .

The CZMP actually is closely integrated into the two draft plans identified. This is achieved through the identification and development of consistent approaches between planning policies thereby ensuring the integrated nature of all three documents. The integrated nature of the CZMP with the PDP allows the CZMP to actually be the guide to all coastal development in conjunction with the PDP. The PDP identifies the broad-based approach to land use management for the island while the CZMP stipulates the mandatory requirements for development within the coastal fringe.