Efforts, resources and costs required for long term environmental management of a resort development: the case of Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club, The Bahamas

Abstract

The natural resources upon which the tourism industry relies upon are subjected to intense pressure during and post development. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are the general method used to evaluate the potential impacts of a development. However, EIAs rarely incorporate an EIA-auditing mechanism, or set environmental standards, for evaluating the long term impacts of a proposed development project. The Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club (BBC) serves as a coastal tourism development case study, where an Environmental Management Program (EMP) and prescribed environmental goals were incorporated into the EIA. The goal of this paper is to document the efforts, resources and costs required to implement the EMP in an effort to meet the project goals. Lessons learned include the need to mitigate damaged environments, include measurable ecological goals, and establish an open communications system. Substantial time, costs and resources were necessary to implement the EMP and this information should be incorporated into development planning to establish a process to follow through on EIA recommendations.

Keywords:

• coastal development
• environmental management
• island tourism

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Vanessa Nero, Kathleen Semon, and Sherry Constantine and the undergraduate assistants from University of Miami and The College of The Bahamas; the funding and volunteer assistance provided by the Earthwatch Institute through the Coastal Ecology of The Bahamas project; funding through the Discovery Land Company; and the contributions of the environmental management team at Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club.