1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Fort-de-France (FUA) Region Latin America and the Caribbean Native title of the NBS intervention Ralentir l'érosion de la plage des 'Salines' Short description of the intervention Salines Beach, a popular destination for over a million visitors annually (Ref 9), is facing severe erosion due to rising sea levels and poor coastal management. Since 1995, the beach has lost more than 20 meters in width. This loss has been worsened by vehicle traffic and the introduction of coconut trees in the 1950s, which reduced the native root systems that once helped to stabilize the coast (Ref 5). Now, the encroaching sea threatens to swallow the road that runs along the beach. In response, the Salines Conservation Committee—comprised of concerned community members and environmental groups—has been advocating for urgent action to halt the erosion. They have called for a renaturalization of the area through the replanting of endemic species and restrictions on car traffic, both aimed at restoring the beach’s natural resilience. When part of the road collapsed in July 2022, the committee took immediate action, organizing community-based interventions. These efforts included blocking traffic, raising public awareness, and planting over 60 endemic plants in the damaged area. The aim was to reestablish a root network capable of anchoring the coastline and capturing shifting sands (Ref 1; 2). The intervention was described as "a response to the urgent need to rebuild the root network, an ecological engineering solution recognized as the most effective method for retaining beach sand and slowing coastal erosion" (Ref 2; 1). The intervention on this section of the coast was first completed, then discarded by the municipality of Sainte-Anne (Ref 2). Regional and National agencies are currently undertaking the restoration works but it is unclear the stage of completion (See Ref 3). Website of the intervention https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/nouvelle-operation-de-renaturation-su… Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding) Sea level rise Extreme weather events (e.g. storms, hurricanes) Land use and Socio-economic change Economic losses due to disasters and environmental degradation Resource Scarcity and Competition Over-exploitation of natural resources (water resources, overgrazing, fisheries, mangroves, fore products) Implementation area characterization Climate Tropical (Tropican rainforest, tropical monsoon, tropical savanna) Ecosystem Tropical rainforest Sandy coastal ecosystems (including beaches and dunes) Coastal wetlands Mangroves Address 97227 Sainte-Anne Martinique Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Retrieved from: Petit, A. (2023). "La Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique démarre 'l’Opération Grand Site des Salines à la Baie des Anglais'". Les travaux qui vont débuter le 11 septembre vont modifier la circulation aux abords des Salines à Sainte-Anne. La démarche vise à obtenir une labélisation "Grand site de France", (accessed 16.08.2024), https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/le-site-des-salines-jusqu-a-la-baie-des-anglais-pourrait-etre-labelise-grand-site-de-france-apres-des-travaux-1426784.html Total area 1500.00m² NBS area 1500.00m² Area description Seascape Type of area before implementation of the NBS Protected Area Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature Sea coast (e.g. dunes, beach) Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2022 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2022 End date of the intervention 2022 Present stage of the intervention Other Please specify "other" stage of the intervention -The intervention on this section of the coast was first completed, then discarded by the municipality of Sainte-Anne (Ref 2). Regional and National agencies are currently undertaking the restoration works but it is unclear the stage of completion (See Ref 3). 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention 1) The goals of the community-based intervention were to address the disappearance of the beach by: -Raising awareness among the authorities, the people of Saint-Anne, and Martinique about the issue of government inaction and the neglect of protection measures on the coastal side of the Salines (Ref 2, 1). -Preventing erosion and increasing resilience: re-naturalising the area with endemic species (nutritive and medicinal plants) that create a network of roots, contain the sand and prevent further erosion on the degraded portion of the beach (Ref 2, 1). -Reduce the amount of motorised traffic on the beach to protect and preserve the coastal environment (Ref 1). 2) The goals of the ONF are to balance conservation efforts with socio-economic development: -Short-term: regulating traffic “to preserve the environment” and moving economic activities (Ref 3; 7). -Long-term: re-naturalise a section of the area with endemic species and add soil (Ref 3; 7; 8) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14) Coastal protection / hazard mitigation Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Habitat and biodiversity restoration Water management (SDG 6) Flood protection Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Preservation of natural heritage Economic development and employment (SDG 8) Tourism support Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides Restore sediment supply to coastal zone Protect and restore coastal ecosystems, to address loss of land and livelihoods, due to rising sea levels What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Species-focused Ecosystem-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified) Restore native species Restore valued species Restore endangered species Public engagement Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1) The implemention of the community-based intervention: -Following the sagging in July 2022, volunteers blocked the traffic and spread awareness of the problem with ressource users for a period of two months. -At the end of October 2022, the community group organised at least two days of renaturation. Introducing specific endemic plants, such as the red gum tree, seaside olive tree, and sea grape tree over the piece of road that had sagged (nutritive and medicinal properties). On November 5th, the Municipality of Sainte-Anne had already layed gravel over the piece of road. 2) The ONF's intervention: -In September 2023, the road was blocked for a period of three weeks to improve signage, renovate the road, reorganise and reduce parking areas, reinforce the round-about and three businesses were placed elsewhere along the beach (Ref 3; 7). -Longer term intervention: harvest native plants and species before the end of 2023, raise them in a nursery for 8 to 9 months. Between December 2024 and February 2025, the gravel on the portions where renaturation is planned, will be removed, topsoil will be added and the native plants will be planted and maintained (Ref 3). Type of NBS project Coastal landscape management or protection Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows) Improving coastal resilience Ecological restoration of ecosystems Soil remediation and revegetation Ecological restoration of existing green spaces Protection of natural ecosystems Habitat restoration Marine and coastal conservation initiatives Knowledge creation and awareness raising Indigenous and community-based conservation initiatives 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Blue infrastructure Coastlines Amenities offered by the NBS Swimming areas Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Design elements for well-being Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables) Medicinal resources Regulating services Coastal protection Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Tourism Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The closest urban settlement to the beach area is the town of Sainte Anne a 10 minute drive, for approximately 5 kilometres. The population of Sainte Anne is of about 4 586 inhabitant, "the village particularly attracts executives and mid-career people aged 35 to 55 who represent more than 27% of its total population! Finally, it is a village with an aging population, its aging index is 129 people aged 65 or over for 100 people under 20" (Ref 6). On the beach itself, there are "street vendors selling homemade ice cream, jewelry, fresh fruit juices... [...] many small bars and restaurants". The Salines beach is a heavily visited recreational or tourist destination (Ref 5). Socio-economic profile of the area High-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Yes Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Coastal communities Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Citizens or community groups Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Other Please specify "other primary beneficiary" -Tourists. -Citizens of Sainte-Anne. -Those people who took part in the intervention: "environmentalists, artists, scientists", members of environmental protection/sustainable development associations and ordinary Salines beach recreational users (Ref 2, 1). Specify primary beneficiaries -Every Salines beach ressource user: the condition of the beach is "worsening, causing the disappearance of the beach and creating insecurity for users from all walks of life" (Ref 2, 1). Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Endangered species (flora and fauna) Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas) City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Co-governance with government and non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The first intervention was organized by a grassroots group called the Salines Conservation Committee, composed of volunteers, local residents, and "users of the Salines" (Ref 2, 1). Soon after they planted the trees, the municipality dismantled their action. The second intervention is being implemented by the National Office for Forests (ONF), in partnership with the Martinique Regional Park (public institution), the regional agency "CTM," the city of Sainte-Anne, the intermunicipal development agency "CAESM," and the Coastline Conservatory (public governmental body). This intervention is part of the "Opération Grand Site des Salines à la Baie des Anglais," a government-backed initiative that has been in development since 2013. The project, spearheaded by the CTM and implemented by the Martinique Regional Park, secured funding to address coastal preservation efforts (Ref 3, 7, 9). Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) National government Regional government Local government/municipality Public sector institution Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement High Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) The project didn't involve any form of stakeholder participatory activities Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan No If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme/type of the plan National Biodiversity Strategy or Action Plan NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. -Concerned citizens and community-based action in the first intervention (Ref 2). -in the second intervention: Money allocated and partnerships already existing under the "opération grand site des Salines à la Baie des Anglais" ( the regional agency "CTM," the city of Sainte-Anne, the intermunicipal development agency "CAESM") (Ref 3). Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Joint regional planning between municipalities (e.g. inter-municipal exchange platforms, regional plans for environmental management) Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers -First intervention: "At first, our actions were thwarted by the mayor of Sainte-Anne, who, through subversive acts against Nature and of great gravity, went very far in order to try to prevent actions recommended by scientists and international authorities. He gave the order to uproot nearly a hundred plants (all endemic and some endangered) that we had installed, then he dumped gravel to compact this part of the beach which, let us recall, is one of the sites benefiting from the highest governmental protection" (Ref 2, 1). -Second intervention: the site is a sea turtle nesting site, the only time to intervene is therefore from the beginning of December to the end of February (Ref 3). Financing Total cost €100,000 - €500,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) -The initial cost of the intervention by the community group is unknown. -The second intervention has a budget of 265 434 euros (Ref 3). What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? 265 434 euros Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Public national budget Public regional budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Risk reduction model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Increased protection against sea level rise Expected increased protection against sea level rise Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding Green space and habitat Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Increased number of species present Expected increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits -Expected increased protection against sea level rise/-Expected increased number of species present/Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems: "By the end of the year, we will begin to harvest native plants and species. We will raise them in a nursery for 8 to 9 months. Next year, we will remove the materials that prevent them from growing over 30 to 40 centimeters: the gravel. We will also add topsoil and we will plant and maintain" (Ref 3) "Assaupamar, the Nou la movement and many others were there to dig holes and introduce plants endemic to the island, such as the red gum tree, the seaside olive tree or the seaside grape tree, capable of containing the sand, which is disappearing before our eyes." (Ref. 1) -Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding", it was a question of planting plant species likely to slow down this erosion phenomenon, which is inexorably eating away at the coasts of Martinique." (Ref.1) Economic impacts More sustainable tourism Expected more sustainable tourism Description of economic benefits -Expected more sustainable tourism: "reorganise parking spaces, that will be reduced"[...] "We want to keep vehicles as far away as possible"[...] "restore and protect the landscape, natural and cultural quality of the site, improve the quality of the visit (reception, parking, information, activities) while respecting the site, and promote socio-economic development while respecting the residents" (Ref 3). Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Cultural heritage and sense of place Protection of natural heritage Expected protection of natural heritage Social and cultural impact indicators Number of participants in outdoor activities or exercise programs in green spaces 50 people involved in at least two renaturation days (Ref 1). Description of social and cultural benefits -Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces "There were nearly fifty environmental activists who came" (Ref 1). -Expected protection of natural heritage "restore and protect the landscape, natural and cultural quality of the site, improve the quality of the visit (reception, parking, information, activities) while respecting the site"[...] "By the end of the year, we will start harvesting native plants and species. We will raise them in a nursery for 8 to 9 months. Next year, we will remove the materials that prevent them from growing 30 to 40 centimeters: gravel. We will also add topsoil and we will plant and maintain" (Ref 3). Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project Unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) Yes Goal setting and impacts delivery No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas. Reaching original project goals Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages Please specify the achievements of the project goals The sources do not provide a clear indication of the project's current stage of implementation. Additionally, there is minimal reporting available, making it difficult to assess whether the goals have been successfully achieved. Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions No Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Martinique la 1ère (2022). Des militants écologiques voulant limiter l’érosion de la côte ont participé à une opération de renaturation, ce dimanche matin (23 octobre 2022), sur la plage des Salines. Ils se sont mobilisés pour planter des espèces végétales afin de contenir le sable. la 1ère, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Comité de sauvegarde des salines (2022). COMMUNIQUÉ Adressé à la CTM, la DEAL, du Préfet et de l’ONF. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Le Saint, L. (2023). Début des travaux aux Salines, l'accès à la plage fermé la semaine. RCI web, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Martinique la 1ère (2022). e constat est aujourd’hui sans appel : une grande partie de la grande anse des salines est en érosion. Un comité pour la sauvegarde de la plage des Salines bloque, depuis le dimanche 24 juillet 2022, la circulation automobile pour alerter les visiteurs su. La1ère, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Zananas (n.d.). Une des plus belles plages de la Caraïbe. Zananas, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Ville-data (2024). Sainte-Anne, Population en Hausse en 2024, Démographie. Ville-data, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. rci.fm (2023). Des travaux vont démarrer sur la voie d'accès à la plage des Salines à Sainte-Anne. rci.fm, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Cloquell, L., J. and Saint Ville, P. (2021). Plage des Salines : un projet de réaménagement d'une dizaine d'emplacements. rci.fm, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Parc Naturel Regional de Martinique (n.d.). OPERATION GRAND SITE “DES SALINES A LA BAIE DES ANGLAIS”. Parc Naturel Regional de Martinique, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Image of volunteers intervening Retrieved from : https://rci.fm/martinique/infos/Environnement/Une-action-ecologiste-est-en-cours-sur-la-plage-des-Salines Image Poster for implementation https://rci.fm/martinique/infos/Informations-pratiques/Debut-des-travaux-aux-Salines-lacces-la-plage-ferme-la-semaine
Image Image of volunteers intervening Retrieved from : https://rci.fm/martinique/infos/Environnement/Une-action-ecologiste-est-en-cours-sur-la-plage-des-Salines
Image Poster for implementation https://rci.fm/martinique/infos/Informations-pratiques/Debut-des-travaux-aux-Salines-lacces-la-plage-ferme-la-semaine
