Camilo M. Botero

Perception of Coastal Scenery Along the Caribbean Littoral of Colombia

ABSTRACT Botero, C., Anfuso, A., Williams, A.T and Palacios, A. 2013. Perception of coastal scenery along the Caribbean littoral of Colombia. Scenic evaluation is an important tool for coastal classification and management, as results obtained from numerous enquires carried out in Europe and USA showed that it is one of the top five parameters in beach choice, the others being safety, facilities, water quality and litter. The specific ranking of each one of the previous parameters ranges from place to place, scenery achieving greatest importance in the UK and USA (first and second place, respectively) and less importance in Malta, Turkey and Spain. In UK, the most important aspects of coastal scenery are historic features (hill forts, lighthouses, etc.), absence of noise, cliff height and beach type (e.g. sand). In Turkey, beach users give more importance to the absence of sewage and litter, water colour and quality, the absence of buildings and vistas of far places. In order to determine the importance given by beach users in the Caribbean coast of Colombia to coastal scenery and to its different aspects, 435 enquires were carried out at eight beaches in the provinces of La Guajira, Magdalena, Atlántico and Bolívar during 2011 and 2012. Results obtained indicated that there was circa 50% difference between the Colombian checklist, as against the one utilised in Europe and the USA. The main differences related to vegetation cover, cliffs, rock platforms, dunes, tidal range, built-non built environment, sky line and noise. The importance given to water clarity, also observed in previous studies carried out in Mediterranean beaches, is linked to the fact that local and national tourists came to the beach for swimming and/or sun, as virtually every beach user enters the sea. Lastly, the importance given to vegetation cover (especially in urban beaches where the vegetal cover consists of planted palm trees), is not really linked to their landscape value but to their usefulness in providing shade.

Are eco-labels sustainable? Beach certification schemes in Latin America and the Caribbean

Beach certification schemes (BCSs) have been designed to bridge the gap between recreation and conservation. However, there is no evidence supporting their effectiveness as tools for achieving a high level of sustainability. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of nine BCSs in Latin America and the Caribbean, based on indicators of sustainable development and integrated coastal management. For this purpose, a list of 27 objectives with 62 indicators was compiled and each schemes effectiveness was measured by testing 95 requirements found in BCSs against the indicators. The results indicate that the analyzed schemes have low levels of effectiveness. The most effective certification complies with 60% of the indicators, while the average compliance level is only 33%. The weak areas of beach certifications involve, monitoring, management and planning, stakeholder participation, and conflict resolution. A few of the schemes were found to be moderately successful in these areas, but the less effective BCSs focused primarily on amenities and visitor satisfaction. It was found that the effectiveness of the BCSs could be increased by addressing their main weaknesses in a cost-effective manner through the hybridization of environmental management systems and benchmark certifications, and by implementing compliance standards based on beach type.

Recreational Parameters as an Assessment Tool for Beach Quality

ABSTRACT Botero, C., Pereira, C., Anfuso, A., Cervantes, O., Williams, A.T., Pranzini, E., Silva, C.P. 2014. Recreational parameters as an assessment tool for beach In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 556–562 ISSN 0749-0208. Beach quality can be understood according to uses established for this coastal system, the most common being tourism, fishing and conservation. This is especially true with regards to tourism, where quality is frequently measured with respect to two major areas: environmental and recreational. In 2002, an environmental quality index for tourist beaches was developed in Colombia, called ICAPTU (Índice de Calidad Ambiental en Playas Turísticas). ICAPTU had four indicators and eleven parameters, mainly focused in environmental aspects. In 2010, a research project started with the objective of updating ICAPTU with a more comprehensive scope, dividing environmental quality into three indicators: sanitary, eco-systemic and recreational. This research paper presents the progress on the design of five parameters considered in the newer version of ICAPTU, all related to recreational issues: a. Coastal Scenery, focused on an assessment tool tested in Europe, USA and Australia; b. Safety and security, measured from risk perception and real risk; c. Urbanization, related to ecosystem resilience to infrastructure on the shore; d. Zoning, understood as a spatial organization of beach activities; e. Environmental behaviour, assessed from a test focused on common attitudes of tourists when they visit the beach. These five parameters were used on-field techniques as a method for acquiring information. Several instruments were designed based on surveys, checklists and interpretation sheets. Every tool was applied and tested on Colombian beaches located in four Departments: La Guajira, Magdalena, Atlántico and Bolivar. Geospatial technologies are also explored as resources for improving the evaluation of beach environmental quality. Finally, this work concluded that beach quality can be assessed by recreational parameters, scientifically designed, supporting decision making of coastal zone management.

Advances in Beach Management in Latin America: Overview from Certification Schemes

Beach management in Latin America is described, focused on analysis of beach certification schemes currently implemented in this continent. Initially, core concepts about beach management are discussed, in order to establish a common framework. Moreover, several initiatives to measure quality are analysed, looking for identifying those tools able to give a certification. Afterwards, 9 beach certification schemes applied in 12 Latin American countries are described (Argentina, Brasil Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uruguay), according to their origin, administrative framework, structure and implementation. Finally, advance in beach management in Latin America is discussed, pointing out main conceptual, methodological and practical challenges to be achieved for scientific and decision makers of the continent.

Litter assessment on 99 Cuban beaches: A baseline to identify sources of pollution and impacts for tourism and recreation

Litter presence was assessed on the entire Cuban coastline, and includes 99 beaches from all Cuban regions, during field work carried out in 2012 and 2015. A standard method verified in several countries was applied, which classified beaches for nine types of litter into four grades (A-excellent to D-poor). Almost half of the Cuban beaches obtained excellent cleanliness scores, although many needed to be better managed. In this baseline, the most common types of residue were general litter (8% grade D and 35% grades B/C) and potentially harmful litter (<68% with grade A). Resort beaches and those with international visitors showed the best litter management. Tourism Impacts seems to be related to visitor origin therefore choices to develop sustainable tourism in rural and village beaches (64%) appears low, if beach cleaning gross investment is focused on resort beaches (24%). Finally, this paper highlights geographical distribution and types of litter patterns.

Ordenamiento del golfo de Cupica (Pacífico colombiano) como ejemplo de gestión costera integrada a escala local

The Integrated Coastal Management – ICM is the most recognized approach for managing coastal areas worldwide. In this context, the Gulf of Cupica (Colombian Pacific coast) was zoning through research here explained. The methodology was based on four methods: 1. Photos located with a GPS (geophotos); 2. Rapid assessment of the study area; 3.Identification and assessment of interactions between coastal uses and activities; and 4.Creation of a map that integrate all information of the coastal territory. As a result, the types of coastline, the systemic features and interactions between the 27 uses and activities found in the Gulf of Cupicais defined andintegrated into a single map. Consequently, the usefulness of information technology and communication tools was proven for coastal management and rapid assessment techniques. Moreover, the coastal interactions’matrix stands out as a powerful tool to characterize, diagnose and propose management measures in a context of ICM.

Beach Safety Management

“Sun, Sea and Sand” offer (3s market) is attracting more and more persons to the coast. Public entities and private companies invest a lot to improve their tourist offer, but in many countries little is done to increase safety in beach use. Drowning in sea water: 137/year in UK; 100/year in USA only for rip currents. Deaths and serious invalidities (mostly for tetraplegia) caused by diving in shallow water are extremely frequent and only in few countries specific campaigns are done to address this problem. Children proved to be the most exposed group to risks related to beach activity, contributing for more than 50% of drownings, and to the almost totality to suffocation for submersion by the sand. Childers safety is the goal of some sensitization activities and signage in some countries. Risks associated to coastal morphology and dynamics are here analysed together with actions aimed at reducing them. Access and permanence in rocky coasts, beach morphology, rip currents, shore protection structures are considered. Specific studies addressed to risk assessment, stakeholders’ involvement and signage design and positioning are considered as best practices to reduce accidents in the use of the coastal area. Drowning rate reduction in Australia after an awareness campaign, appreciation of warning signage installation in Italy, show that action addressed to increasing beach safety must and can be part of beach management schemes. All this must be accompanied by a well structured Rescue organization, as it’s present in several countries.

Nourishing Tourist Beaches

Beach nourishment is the most environmental friendly technique to contrast coastal erosion. The main goal for designers is to expand the beach to have a wider surface on which wave energy is dissipated and on which to host tourism activity (i.e. to increase the carrying capacity). The increase of erosion problems and tourist demand for wide beaches result in the necessity of great quantities of borrow sand. This can result in sand quality reduction in terms of grain size and sand colour. Several cases are analysed in which beach nourishment changed original sand grain size and beach slope (e.g. Cavoli, Italy; Cadiz, Spain), with negative impact on beach morphodynamic, usability and bathing safety, and beach colour, with relevant impact on landscape and sand temperature. Concerning beach morphodynamic, at many places the dry beach was enlarged and foreshore recorded a great increase, changing the morphodynamic state from a dissipative one, characterized by spilling breakers, to an intermediate-reflective one with plunging breakers. Some examples of beach colour changed are presented (i.e. Cagliari, Italy; Varadero, Cuba), filling with darker sand, thus arousing beachgoers displeasure. Methods to assess the compatibility of the borrow sand with the native one, both for size and for colour, are presented.

State-of-the-Art Beach Governance from the Tree of Science Platform

A State-of-the-Art review of scientific literature related with beach governance is presented by utilizing the Tree of Science® tool – ToS. In a search conducted in November 2016, 47 papers were found in the Web of Science® with the combination of words ‘beach’ and ‘governance’. Papers were classified by ToS in roots (high input degree; n = 8), trunks (high intermediation degree; n = 9) and leaves (high output degree; n = 30). The Ocean and Coastal Management Journal was the most relevant journal, with 10 articles published (21,3%), and Elsevier was the most relevant publisher in this topic (n = 25; 53%). About authors, E. Ariza was the most relevant author, with articles in roots, trunks and leaves and participation in four of papers revised. Analysis by country of authors’ affiliation shows a leading by USA (n = 28; 18%), closely followed by the UK (n = 22; 14%) and Spain (n = 17; 11%). A general overview identifies a growing ToS in beach governance, with some strong references in trunks and leaves, and several other references receiving less attention by the scientific community. Finally, a prospective analysis from branches suggest that the scientific community is researching around four subtopics (Policy and legal framework, Participation/co-management, Resources Management, Public/Common Rights), which in the near future could be a new ToS in the forest of beach management theme.

State-of-the-Art Beach Environmental Quality from the Tree of Science Platform

A State-of-the-Art review of scientific literature related with beach environmental quality is presented, by utilizing the Tree of Science® tool - ToS. In a search conducted in November 2016, 36 papers were found in the Web of Science® with the combination of words ‘beach’ and ‘environmental quality’. Papers were classified by ToS in roots (high input degree; n = 10), trunks (high intermediation degree; n = 9) and leaves (high output degree; n = 17). The Ocean and Coastal Management Journal was the most relevant journal, with 13 articles published (36%), which help Elsevier to be the most relevant publisher in this topic (n = 24; 67%). About authors, A.T. Williams was the most relevant author, with articles in roots, trunks and leaves and participation in seven of papers revised. Analysis by country of authors’ affiliation shows a clear leading by Spain (n = 27; 20%), followed by Italy (n = 15; 11%) and Brazil (n = 14; 10%). A general overview identifies a growing ToS in beach environmental quality, with some very strong references in trunks and leaves, and several other references receiving less attention by the scientific community. Finally, a prospective analysis from branches suggest that the scientific community is researching around three subtopics (environmental/ecological status, quality indexes, marine pollution), which could be in the near future a new ToS in the forest of beach management theme.