4 - Integrated Coastal Area Management and Public Perceptions
in the Caribbean Islands: Methods

                 Ben L. Oostdam           Paul A. Billeter

Previous investigations by the senior author in the Caribbean have been reported at earlier Caribbean Geological Conferences (Oostdam, 1983, 1989, 1992).

The principal new method in this study was the circulation of a brief questionnaire/contest which asked participants:

1. to rate specific coastal hazards and problems on their island in the last five years.
2. whether the island had laws or regulations dealing with specific coastal-related problems.
3. to give their opinions, send relevant materials, references and addresses, and pass on copies.

Some 1,550 questionnaires were mailed out to 25 islands as follows:

1. 30 per island nation to the Postmaster for distribution to "Postal Patron" (total 750),
2. 5-10 per island to hotels (total 164),
3. one each per island to the Public Relations office of the Prime Minister, the Harbor Master and relevant agencies of which names and addresses were or became available (about 90)
4. 550 scientists and coastal area managers or planners which had attended such conferences as mentioned in the introduction (396 on Caribbean Islands,154 overseas).

Six sets of 30 questionnaires were returned "undelivered" by Postmasters and some 20 others could not be delivered in time. A total of 85 responses was received as of the end of September 1995 representing about 6.5% return.
Returns from professionals were highest (8%) and from postal patrons lowest (4%). Considered by island nations, the largest number of responses came from Anguilla (11 or 26% of those mailed to Anguilla), the USVI (9 or 16%), St. Kitts & Nevis (8 or 16%), Puerto Rico (7 or 23%) and Barbados (6 or 6%).
No responses were received from any of the four major French speaking islands, except one from St. Martin. Seven islands only produced a single response each.

The responses were tabulated and graphed and an interesting "calibration exercise" (Figure 5 and Figure 6) allowed intercomparison of 'general' responses with those of an expert (Dr. Gillian Cambers) who kindly provided input for 12 individual East Caribbean islands.