ABSTRACT
Abstract: Viewed from economic, social, and environmental perspectives, the Caribbean islands are among the world’s most vulnerable small island regions. Dependent to a large extent on the tourism industry, with high population densities and numerous environmental and development issues, they face signicant challenges, which are likely to be exacerbated with climate change. In particular, highly valued coastal areas are facing signicant threats from erosion and pollution as well as development-related challenges. This chapter discusses how planning for coastal change has evolved in the Caribbean islands, and in Anguilla in particular, over the past 20 years. The development and implementation of new coastal planning guidelines, which to some extent take into account future climate change, are discussed. These guidelines focus on changing present practices such as by building a safe distance from the beach and using wood and piled structures in beachfront buildings. Future opportunities for mainstreaming climate change into the government agenda include incorporating wise practices into the planning process; using visual images of local phenomena, such as beach erosion, to illustrate long-term, abstract phenomena such as climate change and variability; involving the private sector, especially the insurance industry in development planning; maximizing windows of opportunity such as those that open up after extreme events; and emphasizing the economic impacts of poor planning practices.
