Posted on 12/12/2006 8:09:47 AM PST by cogitator
Eritrea aims to become the first country in the world to turn its entire coast into an environmentally protected zone to ensure balanced and sustainable development, officials said Tuesday.
The Red Sea state intends to protect all of its 1,350-kilometer (837-mile) coastline, along with another 1,950-kilometers (1,209-miles) of coast around its more than 350 islands, according to a draft coastal policy document.
"Eritrea will be the first country in the world to declare its entire coastline a protected area," said Dr Michael Pearson, an environment management specialist working with a group that has pushed the proposal.
He and the Eritrea Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity Conservation Project (ECMIB) said the move would be a legacy "to future generations and the global community".
The draft, released late Monday, must still be formally ratified but has government support and would regulate industry, housing, ports, tourism and fishing along the coast to protect natural resources, officials said.
It calls for a coast-wide 100-meter (330-foot) buffer zone from the sea for future development, with stringent measures further inland covering the entire watershed draining to the sea.
It will also give the most ecologically important coastal and marine areas permanent protection as national parks and reserves.
"We will do everything possible to realise this," ECMIB project manager Kaleab Negussie told an environmental conference here on Monday.
Apart from the ports of Massawa and Assab, Eritrea's coastline is a largely underdeveloped desert wilderness interspersed with a few small fishing villages.
It also includes coral reefs, 380-kilometers (257-miles) of mangrove forests, as well as nesting sites for turtles and 73 species of sea birds.
"It has not been industrialized and is still relatively pristine and pollution-free, but, with development, problems will come," said Girmai Abraham, a senior economic advisor at the Ministry of National Development.
"If this is not taken care of, we will ruin our environment," he said.
The policy, backed by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), says that while investment, development and poverty alleviation are obvious national priorities for the impoverished nation, their environmental impacts cannot be ignored.
The document, expected to be endorsed by the government, says the benefits of development will be reduced by "degradation and depletion of natural assets and environmental impacts".
It also provides for a new coastal authority to enforce the proposed legislation.
"You can write all kinds of booklets and legislation, but if you don't implement it then it doesn't mean much," said Girmai. "The creation of a body is therefore crucial."
good for them.
How do the eco-tourists get there if you don't build infrastructure?
Actually, one of eco-tourism's draws is the fact you travel in somewhat primitive conditions.
The terrible headline makes it sound like countries are racing to save the coastline of the entire world all by themselves, and Eritrea means to win that race.
From what I've read the Red Sea along the Eritrean coast is a world class dive area.
I'm sure Al Gore wishes he had a dictatorship so he could protect mother earth too.
But where are you going to dock the dive boats if you can't develop port facilites?
Good point. This dive site has ceased operation: http://www.eritreadivers.com/start/index.html
"Thank you and goodbye, dear friends!
After more than 3 years of hard tries to establish our diving and soft tourism activities in Eritrea we say farewell for now until the sun comes up again.
We say this with sadness.
We have to apologize that the situation in the country gives us no other choice for now."
And the totalitarian gov't can claim all the revenue to fill their Swiss bank accounts.
But who's going to protect the people from the government of Eritrea?
Does this country have extensive oil/gas deposits under its pristine coastal area?
Better yet, where are all the poor sea pirates going to dock?
Yeah, a little. Good luck leaving the 3rd world.
"Why anyone would think that makes it a science text, though, is beyond me, though."
Yes.
"Better yet, where are all the poor sea pirates going to dock?"
:-D (with irony)
That's correct.
Most Red Sea dive operations (not all, but most) are live-aboard vessels.
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