Keeping the sand in "Sun, Sea and Sand": Helping coastal communities monitor, understand and manage beach movement and erosion in Seychelles

Objectives

The main objective is to provide meaningful, accurate, geo-referenced data on beach and near-shore areas to local and national authorities, local communities and land owners to enable better planning and the prevention or mitigation of coastal erosion. In particular, the project targets the following results:

Result 1: An accurate geo-referenced system of beach profiling and analysis, to provide meaningful and useful information to planners

Result 2: An accurate near-shore and shallow-water profiling system is developed and made available

Result 3: A "Strategic Response Method" of rapid assessment to respond to reported urgent changes is developed and made available

Result 4: Effective project communication with national stakeholders

Background

One of the main factors in the erosion-deposition cycle is the topography of the surrounding beaches and bathymetry of near-shore waters; these often dictate whether an area is a natural 'source' for beach replenishment materials or a 'sink' for the products of erosion. While considerable time and effort have been put into monitoring the profiles of beaches down to the low-water line, there has been almost no attempt at similar surveys of near-shore sea-bed areas. The current projects thus generate profiles that are generally limited in geographic extent and over time, are to monitor sand movement below the tide-line, and the data produced are currently not converted into information useful in the management process.

The project thus aims to address these issues by the use of more sophisticated analysis and modelling programmes and the integration of high-accuracy rapid surveys of both beach and near-shore areas.

Target beneficiaries

The principle stakeholders and beneficiaries are the state organizations tasked with the management and control of coastal areas, local communities and private sector interests that would benefit from a better understanding of beach erosion dynamics (both as a cultural and biodiversity heritage). The private sector and concerned citizens may also benefit from indirect management and mitigation activities that will result from this projects.

The main stakeholders and beneficiaries include:

1. Ministry of Environment, Coastal Adaptation, and Management Division

2. Ministry of Environment, Climate Affairs Adaptation Information Division, GIS Unit

3. Ministry of Land Use and Habitat

4. Seychelles National Parks Authority

5. Chalets d'anse Forbans

6. Banyan Tree Resort Seychelles

7. Department of Risk and Disaster Management

8. Seychelles Land Transport Authority

Outputs

The project expects to produce the following:

1. A fully functional Real Time Kinetic Geographic Positioning System (RTK GPS) - in particular: geo-referenced beach maps and concurrent standard visual profiles; a Measurement Protocols Handbook (which will include a comparison of historic beach sand data)

2. An accurate near-shore and shallow-water profiling system - in particular: standardised bathymetric reference area; GIS seabed maps; GIS bathymetry and habitat seabed map; and a set of integrated beach profile and near-shore bathymetry data. Near-shore reports will be available in hardcopy and digital versions

3. A "Strategic Response Method" of rapid assessment - in particular: a Rapid Response Protocol and Handbook, to be used by project partners

4. Effective project communication - a Communications Strategy is developed, approved, and reported; national stakeholder workshop conducted