The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE government plans to develop a “holistic plan” to better protect the country’s coastlines, Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) Director Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy said yesterday amid complaints about repeated sand build-up along West Bay Street.

However, she warned that coastal flooding and sand build-up are likely to become more common as climate change affects The Bahamas. “We will look to see many more of these instances happening not just in New Providence, but across the Family Islands and along different coastlines as the weather patterns change, and we have to adapt," she said.

Several motorists who spoke to The Tribune this week complained about what they called an excessive amount of sand and debris washing up onto the road along West Bay Street.

Some have even been called for more seawalls to be built along the affected coastline.

In response, Dr Neely-Murphy said: “That may be a good idea for one spot, but you can't just decide to just put a seawall everywhere. “We'd have to look at a plan to engineer for the corrective action and the beach renourishment for the areas that we need to speak to, and then move on from there."

She stressed that New Providence’s northern coastline has experienced erosion over several years, partly because of natural events such as storms and cold fronts.

"When you have king tides – we've had significant king tides over the last three months – those beaches in particular would start to experience a lot of that, what looks like erosion," she said.

She said Cabbage Beach and Montagu Beach had already benefited from government and stakeholder intervention after fences were erected to "stabilise the beach", as well as dune stabilising.

She said officials would consider several ways to protect western New Providence’s coastline, including coral reefs, mangroves, seawalls and beach renourishment "Definitely, we are looking to engineer a plan for that coastline that would include corals. That would include mangroves. That would include seawalls. That would include beach renourishment," she said.

The government has previously undertaken coastal protection work along West Bay Street, including a $464,438 contract awarded in 2009 for seawall repairs at Delaporte, Rock Point, opposite the Caves and east of Gambier.

Similar coastal stabilisation efforts were also carried out at Montagu Beach in 2012, when the government partnered with Kerzner International on a redevelopment project involving sand fencing, vegetation, groynes and additional sand to help stabilise the beachfront.

More recently, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection recommended erosion control measures at Cabbage Beach, where proposed fencing and pilings prompted concerns among vendors about access to the beachfront.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has repeatedly spoken about the country's vulnerability to climate change, including coastal erosion and rising sea levels. He has pledged greater government investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and natural measures to protect the country’s coastlines.