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Island Resources Foundation "Environmental planning for small island development" 6296 Estate Nazareth No. 11, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 00802 • Tel: 809/775-6225 • Fax: 809/779-2022 1994: The Year In Review Small islands contribute al most none of the greenhouse gasses that cause global warm ing, yet they have to live with the very real risks associated with global climate change and sea level rise. The irony is that the least responsible are the most vulnerable. Global Gathering in Barbados on the Fate of Small Island States As the islands go, so goes the planet .... This was the oft-repeated refrain at the 1994 UN Global Conference on the Sustainable Develop ment of Small Island Developing States, the most important assembly on the environment and development since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro two years ago. As suggested by the Minister of the Environment from Barbados (host country to the conference), the size and discrete boundaries of small island states mean that they can, "as microcosms of the rest of the world, act as real life laboratories in the transition to sus tainable development." While blessed with a richness of natural beauty, the small size of the world's 41 small island developing states (SIDS) has made most of them environmentally and economically vulnerable. Small may be beau tiful, but size also severely limits the resource base of most SIDS. Additionally, many of the world's most serious environmental crises are at their most acute in SIDS. As quoted in the UNDP's Choices, three-quarters of all known animal extinctions in recent history have taken place on small islands. Proportionately, SIDS are losing forests far faster than larger continental countries. Small endowments of topsoil (continued ISLANDS, page 6) • A Good News, Better News . . . and Bad News It's good news that in recent years the IRF library has expanded substantially, now comprising over 10,000 docu ments, books, unpublished reports, maps and photographs on insular eco systems, historic and scenic places, shorelines, species and other resources undergoing change. In the Caribbean, the IRF collection is unmatched. The better news is that to help keep track of this expanding collection, the Foundation and the Eastern Caribbean Center (ECC) at the University of the Virgin Islands are cataloguing the ECC and IRF libraries using the computer- based CDS-ISIS system. Funding for this enormous job ~ which has been un derway for the last 12 months ~ was provided by the MacArthur Founda tion. The two professional librarians oversee ing the cataloguing process are Jennifer Jackson, St. Croix campus librarian at the University of the Virgin Islands, and Shirley Lincoln, head of technical services for the Virgin Islands public li brary system. (continued LIBRARY, next page) Jennifer Jackson, U. of the Virgin Islands librarian who is assisting in the computer cataloguing of IRF's reference collection 1994 Highlights IRF's Special "Niche" Island Resources Foundation is a donor-supported, development assistance organization with a special interest in helping to protect and enhance the environments of small island states and territories, espe cially those in tropical areas. IRF is also a service organization that brings technical and professional planning skills to island governments and NGOs engaged in the difficult task of shaping policies and prac tices for the management of insular ecosystems anywhere. As such, the Foundation is different from most membership- based environmental groups or private voluntary organizations in volved in overseas assistance work (although we do have members and are registered as a Private Voluntary Organization). Key to IRF's work has been its recognition that, in small island states, information is the basis for informed decision making about the environment. Linked to this conviction has been IRF's ongoing emphasis on prob lem solving, technical skills building, institution strengthening, and research to underpin resource management decisions. 1994 demonstrates IRF's adherence to these principles. High lights of the year's programs are presented below. Addressing Regional Problems Through Better Planning Coastal and marine environments in the Caribbean are heavily exploited and remain at risk. Management strategies have proven in adequate, and continuing damage to resources and communities has devastated whole stretches of shoreline, marginalizing them for human enjoyment and productive enterprises. Responding to regional concerns, UNEP's Car ibbean Environment Program (CEP) in Jamaica has un dertaken preparation of a framework for facilitating integrated coastal management in the Caribbean. To carry out this task, the Foundation's president, Edward Towle, was asked to prepare a set of draft guidelines which will be considered at a technical meeting con vened by UNEP early in 1995. In a related effort, UNEP/CEP encouraged the Foundation to look at the problem of soil erosion as it affects the insular Caribbean. The output is a practical handbook for planners, engineers, landscape architects, construction supervisors and others engaged in site de velopment. It provides a description of specific best management practices (BMPs) designed to control sedimentation and reduce environmental damage. The handbook will be released by UNEP/CEP in early 1995 under title of Guidelines for Sediment Control Practices in the Insular Caribbean (Technical Report No. 32). NGO Partnerships: Support for a Private Sector Voice One of the Foundation's most successful programs is its eight- year-old assistance program for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Eastern Caribbean. Through this long-term initiative, IRF supports the development of private sector environmental groups and influences the premise that a larger role for local people in na tional decision making is critical for balanced development. "Govern ments make political judgments," observed IRF's president recently, "but until someone raises the social and environmental implications of those judgments, they tend to stay political." Primary funding for IRF's NGO program has been provided under a six-year Cooperative Agreement with USAID signed in 1989. With this major source of support ending in 1995, IRF will be evaluating options for this important assistance program, which currently includes 16 NGO partners in the Eastern Caribbean. (LIBRARY, continued from page 2) Eventually, the electronic catalogue of IRF's reference library will be made available through the Internet to researchers around the world, es pecially in the Caribbean. The bad news is that as the collec tion grows, it has totally outstripped the Foundation's ability to properly house it — particularly in the event of another major storm like Hurri cane Hugo. Since Hugo five years ago, IRF has increased the size of its library by over a third. As is clear in photos below, it is no longer possible to properly store or protect major documents. The wooden structure of the IRF head quarters building in St. Thomas further increases the risks associated with continued housing of this valu able collection at the current site. Teamwork Strategy for Problem Solving Supported in part by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, IRF serves as the secretariat for the Virgin Islands Resource Man agement Cooperative (VIRMC). The Cooperative is a col laboration of public and private resource management and environmental protection institutions focusing at present on coordinated research, improved resource management, and development of geographic information systems for the wider Virgin Islands community (including the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). VIRMC emerged in recognition of the need for a cooperative approach to the management of natural re sources in the Virgin Islands. Its goal is to expand local institutional capacity for addressing the difficult environment and resource use challenges facing the Virgin Islands. The grant from the MacArthur Foundation provides base funding for the VIRMC secretariat at IRF and for small grants to support collaborative activities. (continued VIRMC, page 4) Library materials stored on exposed gallery Maps and other documents at risk in a semi-enclosed storage area adjacent to IRF's office building IRF's Board of Trustees is exploring options for developing the library and for addressing more immediate problems of housing and access. NEW GIS HARDWARE FOR VIRMC INSPECTED AT TNC HEADQUARTERS (top photo) TNC's Carol Mayes (left) and Ayanna McKay flank IRF's Ed Towle and Bruce Horwith St. Lucian Laurent Jn-Pierre, largely re sponsible for development of his country's national herbarium, answers participant questions at IRF herbaria development work shop in Antigua (VIRMC, continued from page 3) An early area of cooperation has been in the development of a geographic information system (GIS) to sup port VIRMC activities and the associated pro grams of VIRMC members. The basic plat form for this system, including donated ArcCAD and ArcView software, was estab lished by IRF at the Virgin Islands office of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a VIRMC institutional partner. IRF views the VIRMC GIS system as important both for its resource management applications in the Virgin Islands, and as a demonstration and training opportunity for potential geographic information system de signers and users in the Wider Caribbean. (left) IRF's systems analyst Bruce Potter makes a point to biodiversity pro gram director Bruce Horwith Defining a Biodiversity Program for the Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity from an Eastern Caribbean Perspective. The small size of the Eastern Caribbean belies the rich biodiversity it supports. Typical of islands, the biota of the Lesser Antilles contains a relatively high percentage of single- island and regional endemics which, by definition, occur only here. The islands and their surrounding waters also support many migra tory animals ~ endangered marine turtles, more than two dozen spe cies of whales and dolphins, and some 150 bird species. How many species occur in the Eastern Caribbean? Not surprising, there are pretty good estimates for flowering plants and vertebrate animals. Less is known about other members of the plant and animal kingdoms, in particular, marine invertebrates. The area's coral reefs are incredibly diverse, home to some 400 fish species. But, here too, vague descriptions such as "rich assemblages of invertebrates" are the norm in describing this ecosystem. Whatever the number of species that actually occur in the Eastern Caribbean, it would be difficult to argue for the global importance of the region's biodiversity -- if only numbers are considered. Fortunately, this is not the only measure, for the same natural areas that support the region's flora and fauna are integral to the quality of life enjoyed by the peoples of the Caribbean. Economically and aesthetically, they are critical resources, particularly as more island-states make a transition to tourism-based economies. Within this context, IRF's Biodiversity Program for the Eastern Caribbean was launched in 1991. It is an initiative of Island Resources Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Caribbean governments and non-governmental organizations. Funding for the program is provided principally by the Moriah Fund, WWF/Biodiversity Support Program, and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry. With an overall program goal to develop national and regional capacity to conserve the biodiversity of the Eastern Caribbean, the program is currently active in Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat, and St. Kitts-Nevis. In 1994, primary program activities concentrated on: ■ Antigua, where ecosystem maps are being prepared to modify and update earlier data and where, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and a local NGO (the Environmental Awareness Group), a system of hiking trails is being developed in the area of Wallings Reservoir, the best-preserved moist forest on the island. ■ Dominica, where a West Indian entomologist was hired to assist in a first-phase research effort to assess the conservation status of Dominica's flora and fauna; IRF is working with the coun try's leading environmental NGO (the Dominica Conservation As sociation) as well as several government agencies to develop a con servation plan for identified priority species and sites. ■ Montserrat, where the program focuses on Fox's Bay, the largest and biologically most important wetland on the island; the objective is to develop the site as a nature reserve. Program collab orators include IRF, the Montserrat National Trust, the forestry and fisheries departments of Government, the University of the West Indies, and WWF-UK. For more information about IRF's Biodiversity Program for the Eastern Caribbean, contact Bruce Horwith at the Foundation's Antigua office (PO Box 103, St. John's, Antigua; telephone: 809-460-1740; fax: 809-463-7740). More than 20 years ago - long before it was called "bio diversity " - IRF's commitment to species protection began with a turtle-tagging program that extended over six nesting seasons and resulted in the tagging of over twelve hundred green sea turtles. The objective of the program was to de termine the uniqueness and geographic range of the turtle population in the Eastern Caribbean. More recently, IRF's biodiversity program assisted St. Kitts in developing a turtle monitoring program for that island and in publishing related educational materials. New Publications From IRF in 1994 WHALE WATCHING IN THE WEST INDIES: A GUIDE TO CETACEANS AND SITES OF THE REGION (by Nathan GricksJ MONTSERRAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FACING MONTSERRAT (IRF with Government of Montserrat and the Montserrat National Trust) COMPARING EXPERIENCES OF THE BRITISH AND UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS IN IMPLEMENTING GIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM SOLVING (by Louis Potter and Bruce Potter) FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE: A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF VIRGIN ISLANDS COASTAL MANAGEMENT (by Richard Volk and Edward Towle) GUIDELINES FOR SEDIMENT CONTROL PRACTICES IN THE INSULAR CARIBBEAN (by Donald Anderson) For more information, contact IRF's Publications Office 1718 P Street Northwest Washington, DC 20036 telephone: 202-265-9712 fax: 202-232-0748 Internet: iresources@aol.com ISLANDS (continued from page 1) The fate of the SIDS affects one-sixth of the earth's surface, for island states are custodians of 30 million square kilometers of ocean that fall within their Exclusive Economic Zones. Dr. Edward Towle (center) chairs a meeting in Colombo of staff in Sri Lanka's integrated coastal management program. IRF's presi dent headed an evaluation team that re viewed USAID-funded coastal programs in Sri Lanka, Ecuador and Thailand. Sri Lankan staff were interested in how is lands in the Caribbean and Pacific are man aging growth and guarding against inap propriate environmental protection tech nologies. "With difficulty, " Towle con cluded, but also noting that "islanders al most everywhere are adaptive and resilient in the face of adversity. Despite poor ad vice, they will prevail!" are being rapidly eroded, while scarce water supplies are being de pleted, particularly in response to demands from the growing tourism sector. Only an estimated one-tenth of all sewage discharged into Caribbean coastal waters receives treatment. After two weeks of intense negotiations, a Program Action Plan was adopted by the Confer ence that provides a blueprint for the sustainable development of small island states. It specifies measures to be taken at the national, regional and international levels and elaborates strategies for enhancing regional and sub-regional cooperation in a way that builds on Agenda 21, the 1992 Earth Summit action program. In 14 thematic chapters, the SIDS Program of Action specifies the numerous issues that is lands must address in pursuit of sustainable de velopment. Yet many issues remain unresolved, centering most significantly on implementation, technology transfer and access to financial resources. The lack of high-level representation from the global community adds to uncertainty about international re solve to implement the Action Program and to work towards the sus tainable development of small island states. The conference's most visible success may well be the increasing solidarity and determination of the SIDS themselves. The 41-member Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), now chaired by a Trinidadian diplomat, has rapidly matured as a cohesive negotiating block since its formation four years ago. Equally visible was the participation of NGOs, international in re presentation but dominated by island-based organizations. A non-gov ernmental forum was held simultaneous to official governmental pro ceedings and provided the primary opportunity for NGOs to influence the main conference. Island Resources Foundation was represented by its president and vice president, Edward and Judith Towle, and by NGO program direc tor, Bruce Horwith. Horwith and Ed Towle participated in NGO Forum sessions on biodiversity and on coastal resource management. Additionally, IRF trustee, LaVerne Ragster, was a part of the official delegation from the U.S. Virgin Islands. GRANTS, PROGRAM REVENUE and CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED For FISCAL YEAR 1994 (July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994) I s l a n d R e s o u r c e s F o u n d a t i o n I s a n o n - e n d o w e d o p e r a t i n g f o u n d a t i o n e s t a b l i s h e d i n t h e U . S . Vi r g i n I s l a n d s i n 1 9 7 2 . T h e F o u n d a t i o n s u p p o r t s i t s a c t i v i t i e s t h r o u g h a c o m b i n a t i o n o f g r a n t s , c o n t r a c t s a n d u n r e s t r i c t e d d o n a t i o n s . R e v e n u e s f o r fis c a l y e a r ' 9 4 a r e l i s t e d i n t h e fir s t t a b l e . ( S e e p a g e s 2 - 5 f o r a d e s c r i p t i o n o f I R F ' s 1 9 9 4 p r o g r a m o f p r o f e s s i o n a l s e r v i c e s , t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e , a p p l i e d r e s e a r c h , a n d p u b l i c a t i o n s . S e e s e c o n d t a b l e t h i s p a g e f o r l i s t i n g o f I R F g r a n t s u p p o r t f o r E a s t e r n C a r i b b e a n n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s . ) E. Caribbean Center, University of VI Falconwood Foundation Goldman Environmental Foundation International Institute of Tropical Forestry Laurance S. Rockefeller MacArthur Foundation Moriah Fund Mukti Fund Organization of E. Caribbean States United Nations Development Program United Nations Environment Program United Nations Environment Program US Agency for International Development US Virgin Islands Government WWF/Biodiversity Support Program Memberships & Contributions Other Revenues Virgin Islands Resource Management NGO Institutional Development Leadership Award to Andrew Simmons, St. Vincent Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity Environmental Leadership Virgin Islands Resource Management Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity NGO Institutional Development Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity Environmental Profiles Integrated Coastal Management Sedimentation Control Guidelines NGO Institutional Development Management Plans for Areas of Particular Concern Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity 3 , 1 0 0 1 0 , 5 0 0 5 9 . 0 0 0 5 2 , 8 3 9 5 , 0 0 0 9 5 , 0 0 0 3 4 , 0 0 0 1 9 . 8 0 0 1 . 1 4 2 9 , 0 0 0 1 0 . 0 0 0 6 , 5 0 0 135,000 2 0 , 0 0 0 1 4 . 8 5 9 3 1 , 8 0 1 2 6 . 3 2 3 TOTAL 533,864 IRF GRANT SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL NGOs DURING FISCAL YEAR 1994 S i n c e 1 9 8 6 , I R F h a s p r o v i d e d d i r e c t s u p p o r t f o r e n v i r o n m e n t a l N G O s i n t h e E a s t e r n C a r i b b e a n t h r o u g h a c o m b i n a t i o n o f t e c h n i c a l a n d fin a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e . D u r i n g F i s c a l Ye a r ' 9 4 , I R F p r e s e n t e d a l m o s t $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 t o i t s N G O p a r t n e r s f o r i n s t i t u t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t o r c o n s e r v a t i o n p r o g r a m s u p p o r t . T h i s a s s i s t a n c e w a s m a d e p o s s i b l e t h r o u g h t h e g e n e r o s i t y o f a v a r i e t y o f t h i r d - p a r t y d o n o r s , i n cluding the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Moriah Fund, T h e N a t u r e C o n s e r v a n c y, M u k t i F u n d , F a l c o n w o o d F o u n d a t i o n , W W F / B i o d i v e r s i t y S u p p o r t P r o g r a m , a n d U S A I D . Antigua Environmental Awareness Group Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society British Virgin Islands Botanic Society British Virgin Islands/East End Community Center British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust Dominica Conservation Association Montserrat National Trust Nevis Environmental Education Committee Nevis Historical and Conservation Society St. Christopher Heritage Society INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1.406 1,000 8 , 6 5 0 2.500 1.445 6,391 13.665 CONSERVATION PROGRAMS 28.039 2 , 5 0 0 3 , 0 0 0 23,251 1,500 3.359 TOTAL GRANTS 2 8 , 0 3 9 1 , 4 0 6 1 , 0 0 0 8 , 6 5 0 5 , 0 0 0 3 , 0 0 0 23,251 1,445 7,891 1 7 , 0 2 4 TOTALS 3 5 , 0 5 7 61,649 96,706 IRF is on the Internet! Our e-mail address is: iresources@aol.com Who's Who at Island Resources Foundation Virgin Islands Office Edward Towle President Resource Planner Judith Towle Vice President Financial Management Sandra Tate Office Manager Shirley Lincoln Library Associate Don Anderson Research Associate Erosion Control Marci Bortman Intern Waste Management Michael Ivie Research Associate Entomology Jack Livingston Research Associate Land Use Study Christine McCoy Intern Waste Management Antigua Office Bruce Horwith Director, Eastern Caribbean Programs Washington, DC Office Bruce Potter Vice President Information Management Systems Jean-Pierre Bade Staff Associate Resource Analyst Affiliated Associates Ove Anderson Regional Planning Arthur Archer Sanitary Engineering John Barnes Fisheries Stephen Bass Environmental Policy James Beets Marine Ecology Oswald Blaich Public Planning Ralf Boulon Environmental Education David Brower Growth Management Jessica Brown International Development Warren Brown Park Planning Paul Butler Wildlife Conservation Gillian Cambers Oceanography Costas Christ International Development Raymond Cote Environmental Biology Alissandra Cummins Museum Development Pier d'Ayala Insular Systems Henrique da Costa NGO Development Klaus de Albuquerque Development Planning Francois Doumenge Island Conservation Random DuBois Geography Karen Eckert Endangered Species Patrick Fairbairn Wildlife Biology John Gamman Environmental Policy Lloyd Gardner Coastal Zone Planning Tighe Geoghegan NGO Development Melvin Goodwin Marine Ecology William Gregg Park Management David Grigg Marine Biology Malcolm Hendry Oceanography Lawrence Hill Forestry Richard Howard Caribbean Flora Alister Hughes Linguistics Eleanor Jones Environmental Planning Ian Jones Water Quality Daven Joseph Fisheries Anne LaBastille Wildlife Ecology David Lee Park Management Robin Mahon Fisheries Peter May Resource Economics Richard May Regional Planning Winston McCalla Environmental Law Jerry McElroy Economic Development Leslie Middleton Ocean Engineering Louis Mills Landscape Planning Maynard Nichols Marine Geology Michael O'Neal Development Anthropology Julie Overing Marine Biology Elizabeth Pierson Zoology Lydia Pulsipher Historical Geography LaVerne Ragster Educational Institutions William Rainey Wildlife Biology Anne Reilly Tropical Plant Ecology Yves Renard Community Resource Management Caroline Rogers Coral Reef Ecology Naresh Singh Environmental Policy Bernard Spinrad Information Systems George Ty6on Cultural Resources Jan Vermeiren Development Planning Richard Volk Coastal Planning Barry Wade Resource Management Roy Watlington Oceanography We are keenly aware that it is the generous financial support of our members and other contributors that makes possible our programs to help islands. A do nation form is enclosed, and if you would like more information about tax-de ductible gifts to Island Resources Foundation, please contact our Virgin Islands office. 8