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The Protected Landscape Approach: Linking Nature, Culture and Community and cultural resources without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same). It is therefore within this context that the Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean will closely examine any protected area category – i.e., will it take into consideration the needs, vulnerabilities and strengths of the islands and will lands be acquired from citizens The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how two protected areas in the Caribbean country of St. Lucia have used varying approaches to in situ management of natural ecosystems while still meeting the needs of people. Both sites offer examples of how the Protected Landscape/ Seascape approach can work in the Caribbean, and both are, in effect, actualizing the spirit of the St. George’s Declaration. The proposed Praslin Protected Landscape The Praslin Protected Landscape (PPL) is 874ha of coastline and sea on the east coast of St. Lucia. The area is comprised of mangroves, coral reefs, sea-grass beds, a delta, xerophytic vegetation, 17 archaeological sites, and natural beauty. A rapid inventory of flora and fauna in the area discovered 116 plant species, 38 bird species (of which three are endemics), eight species of reptiles (of which four are endemics), and two species of amphibians (Andrew and Anthony, 1997). The Praslin Protected Landscape is one of 27 management areas in St. Lucia’s protected area system. The St. Lucia National Trust is the country’s largest conservation, membership and non-profit organization charged with the responsibility to conserve St. Lucia’s natural and cultural heritage. Established by an Act of Parliament in 1975, the Trust is a statutory body that receives some support from government. In 1992 the Trust developed St. Lucia’s protected area plan following a four-year participatory planning process. The plan advocates conserva - tion as an indispensable basis for a form of development that is “equitable, sustainable and harmonious.” It regards natural and cultural resources as the capital on which St. Lucia’s development strategy can be built, and defines protected areas as: Portions of the national territory … which are placed under special management status to ensure that the resources they contained are maintained and made accessible for sustainable uses compatible with conservation requirements (Hudson et al., 1992). Living on the periphery of the Praslin Protected Landscape are the coastal communities of Praslin and Mamiku with a combined population of approximately 400. Historically, the communities have depended on fishing and small-scale farming, with bananas being the main cash crop prior to the 1990s. Over the last decade, St. Lucia, like many other SIDS and developing countries, has lost preferential markets in the United Kingdom, which has brought about a creeping economic depression in rural communities. This depression has caused the marginal survivors in these communities to become poor, and the poor in certain cases to become indigent. In 1989 when the St. Lucia National Trust (SLNT) began work in the area it was to preserve the biodiversity and the potential of the area as a Heritage Tourism Site. Before establishing the Frégate Islands Nature Reserve, which is one component of the Praslin Protected Landscape, the SLNT realized that the communities could not be ignored. Most of the land was in private ownership and the community depended on the area for fishing, cutting poles for their gardens, charcoal production, medicinal herbs, and some grazing. The environ mental problems at the 180
13. Protected landscapes and seascapes and their relevance to SIDS in the Caribbean time included pollution caused by disposal of solid waste in small ravines and the presence of human waste in the fringing mangroves. A village census undertaken by the people of Praslin and Mamiku in 1994 discovered a total of 41 households with no toilets, which explained the pollution in the mangrove. There was also a great need for improving the supply of potable water to the communities. In short, in the early 1990s there was little happening in the communities in terms of self-help, as people typically waited for the Government to make something happen, which never did. In 1994 the St. Lucia National Trust launched its efforts to create the Praslin Protected Landscape through a participatory planning process, which produced a Strategic Plan for the Community. Within four to six years the SLNT and the local communities, with funding from the Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme, the Government of St. Lucia, the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, the St. Lucia Rural Enterprise Project, the German GTZ and other donors, had made substantial progress. An important step was the establishment of the Praslin-Mamiku Development Committee (PMDC) as a coordinating group. The many achievements included: providing basic amenities like toilets to 37 households; establishing a garbage disposal system; improving the communities’ water supply through a US$30,000 project; the construction of a jetty for marine tours with trained guides; and the engineering of the longest coastal nature trail in St. Lucia. Another important achievement was the re - establishment of a sea moss micro-industry that also included the construction of the first sea moss factory processing plant in St. Lucia. Training was also an integral part of the project and community members were trained in conservation and resource management, facilitation, managing meetings, conflict resolution, basic record-keeping and accounting, and under - standing the tourism industry. The majestic Pitons of St. Lucia. The Pitons Management Area, which includes terrestrial and marine components, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2004. Saint Lucia National Trust 181
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IUCN World Commission on Protected
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The Protected Landscape Approach Li
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Dedication This publication is dedi
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The Protected Landscape Approach: L
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Part I Introduction and global over
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3. World Heritage Cultural Landscap
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4. From pre-assumptions to a ‘jus
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5. Conserving “unprotected” pro
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Part II Case studies from around th
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8. Pastoralists, conservation and l
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9. Protected landscapes in the Unit
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10. Sustaining rural landscapes and
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Appendix 1 IUCN Protected Area Mana
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Appendix 3 Guidelines for Category
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Appendix 5 Evaluation of Cultural L
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Appendices Country Title of World H
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IUCN - The World Conservation Union
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