BergerWorld: 2nd Quarter 2006

Coastal Tourism, the chief industry driving the economies of many seaside resort communities, all too often comes at the expense of fragile coastal ecosystems. A healthy environment is, however, indispensable to successful long-term tourism development-swimmers require clean, sewage-free water; divers pay top dollar for pristine reefs full of biodiversity; and sunbathers appreciate beaches free of litter and debris. Sustainable tourism encourages tourism development while safeguarding the environment on which it depends. Berger has been on the forefront of such efforts for many years, and now continues that tradition in Asia, Latin America and the United States.

Berger was awarded the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Sustainable Coastal Tourism in Asia (SCOTIA) project as part of an innovative,

multi-stakeholder program in the Philippines to encourage Local Government Units (LGU), investors, developers and other stakeholders to recognize the importance of coastal and marine resources and implement measures to protect them. Berger environmental planners are assisting hotels, diving resorts and shop operators, LGUs, planners and other stakeholders reduce their environmental footprint by introducing user fees to fund coastal and marine conservation efforts and training workshops to improve the ability of local communities to manage Marine Protected Areas (MPA). Berger is also assisting LGUs, communities and other local stakeholders increase recycling and composting and implement affordable sewage treatment and solid waste disposal systems.

A similar USAID program in Sri Lanka involves bringing together tourism industry stakeholders and public and private organizations to protect coastal communities, MPAs and Special Area Management (SAM)

sites. The program primarily focuses on coastal hotels, resorts and diving operations, while also partnering with neighboring industries and urban areas that affect the environment of coastal areas. Through an alliance of conservation advocates and local and international tourism specialists, SCOTIA is developing procedures to enhance tourism while protecting coastal ecosystems. To achieve this balance, it is necessary to forge relationships with and obtain buy-in and ownership from a diverse stakeholder group that includes hotels and resort operators, municipalities and local government institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and other community-based organizations. SCOTIA encourages hotels, resorts and dive shops to protect their environment by recycling, composting, efficient solid waste management, waste minimization, wastewater treatment, adopting energy-efficient technologies, waste-to-energy projects, eco-friendly diving techniques, eco-guides and "green" land use. The project also

entails coordination with tsunami reconstruction efforts to incorporate disaster mitigation and safety into future tourism development, including evacuation points, awareness centers and warning mechanisms. Berger planners are also developing procedures to improve MPAs and SAMs by introducing user fees, improving fishing techniques, establishing in situ species protection programs, and increasing enforcement and public awareness. The project is expected to establish numerous partnerships to enhance management of MPAs; broaden expertise on coastal environmental and tourism issues; and expand eco-tourism. Berger planners will establish demonstration sites based on tourism potential, impact on coastal natural resources and the ability to replicate best practices for other sites. The experiences and lessons learned will be shared with hotel, resort and other private sector organizations, NGOs, government ministries, the Central Environmental Authority, municipalities and LGAs.

"Resort Playa La Criba," a mega coastal resort located in La Criba Beach, El Salvador,

is surrounded by spectacular natural features, including mangroves, volcanoes and nearby islands. An ambitious coastal tourism program incorporating environmentally sustainable measures in all elements of the planning and design, it includes several innovative conservation and restoration programs-a turtle hatchery, a mangrove restoration program and reforestation of a four-mile stretch of shoreline with native species to promote biodiversity and soil stabilization. The Berger team is preparing economic and tourism studies, property use and zoning plans, preliminary design and cost estimates, EISs and coastal carrying capacity studies. These will be followed by detailed design and construction supervision of the recommended facilities.

The northern shore of Honduras and the Bay Islands, an area of magnificent natural beauty that includes the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef,

suffers from poverty, a degraded environment and the lingering devastation left behind by Hurricane Mitch. With the support of the World Bank, the government of Honduras is strengthening its tourism industry to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of the region. The Honduras Tourism Institute selected Berger to assist in the development of a sustainable coastal tourism program by promoting a dialogue between multiple stakeholders, assisting locals in developing a common vision for the development of the area, and preparing recommendations to address environmental problems such as land misuse, untreated ocean discharges, reef degradation and coastal deterioration. To achieve this, the Berger team conducted field surveys of the entire northern shore of Honduras and the Bay Islands, organized community-based workshops and regional and national workshops, and guided the Honduras Government throughout the process. The project was recognized as one of 12 best World Bank projects in 2004.

Termed "rainforests of the sea" because of the abundance of biodiversity, coral reefs are declining worldwide. Reef death or bleaching-leaving behind the white limestone skeleton when the coral dies-has three principal causes: polluted runoff-sediments, pesticides and fertilizers; climate change-sea warming and increased hurricane activity; and overfishing of reef fish. These fragile ecosystems are vulnerable to slight changes in temperature, suspended solids, pesticides and nutrients, and Berger is working to protect existing reefs and build artificial reefs where needed.

Under a nationwide Environmental Restoration contract with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Berger recently investigated

threats to coral reefs and other bottom habitats within two marine reserves in Puerto Rico. The assignment involved a thorough review of available data on the coral cover, condition and the impact of recreational use on reefs within the Isla Caja de Muertos and Guanica Marine Reserves off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Based on these findings, Berger, in conjunction with NOAA and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER), prepared recommendations for the reserves, including the placement of mooring buoys, closure of selected fishing areas, designation of SCUBA and snorkeling areas, and educational and outreach programs.

Artificial reefs-man-made structures placed on barren sea bottoms to promote growth of algae, corals, oysters, barnacles and other marine organisms-can include anything from demolition waste to a ship wreck to cinderblocks tied together. When

marine organisms attach themselves to artificial reef structures, communities of reef fish are attracted to the food and shelter source; predators, such as barracuda, soon come to feed on the reef fish; and an ecosystem emerges.

In a separate project in Puerto Rico, a segment of a submarine telecommunications cable impacted portions of benthic communities inhabited by sponges and hard and soft corals. To compensate for the habitat loss, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) required the construction of 1,033 square feet of artificial reef. Contracted by Emergia, a telecommunications provider, in a design/build mitigation project, a team of Berger marine scientists and archaeologists conducted an underwater investigation and an archaeological survey of two

potential sites 70 feet below the surface off the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. After approval from the PRDNER, Berger selected a barren artificial reef site five nautical miles east of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, within the La Cordillera Natural Reserve. In conformance with a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)/USACE- approved mitigation plan, twelve concrete modules were designed and installed on a sea floor of unconsolidated sediment, silt and biogenic sand. The reef promoted benthic colonization, fish habitat and enhanced biodiversity. Berger managed all aspects of the design/build operations-prepared and obtained all necessary permits and approvals; notified USACE, NMFS, the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council, U.S. Coast Guard and local marinas of construction activities, and advised NOAA's Nautical Data Branch of the placement coordinates; and provided on-site coordination and divers during deployment operations. Using underwater still and video photography, Berger conducted baseline and five years of post-deployment monitoring of the constructed reef, which now provides habitat for a wide variety of fish, soft corals and sponges.