Case study for opportunities and threats at coasts: St.

Lucia

LO: Demonstrate an understanding that coasts present hazards and offer opportunities for people

Outline the advantages of tourism to St. Lucia

An advantage of tourism in St. Lucia is that there is an increase in jobs because people are
needed in hotels, restaurants, as tour guides and in supporting services such as taxi operator
for all of the tourists. Tourism is a big factor there so it earns a lot of money for the economy
allowing economic growth.

Explain why fisheries have declined as a result of tourist development

Fishermen risk losing their access to water supply and it’s very important to have it so that they
can fish.
Fisheries declined because tourism has emerged as the leading contributor in GDP.
Many wetlands were destroyed to make buildings and they are where many fish live, so now
they don’t have anywhere and many got killed.
Coral reefs are being destroyed due to the pollution the construction has made, corals are one
of the main reasons to why fish are able to survive
Outline the impacts of tourist activity on natural vegetation

The construction of all of the new buildings has produced lots of solid and liquid waste which
has damaged vegetation. Not only that but also lots of land which had vegetation had to get cut
down so that more buildings and roads could be built for the increase in tourism.
Explain how tourist development can affect marine environments at the coast

Tourist development affects marine environment because at the coast poorly treated
wastewater is poured in and has resulted in a decline in corals. An example of something which
releases dirty water are yachts, they discharge sewage which is really bad. This poses
environmental risks and has caused a decline in nutrients in the sea. Not only that but since
tourism is increasing more people will want to go do that and other activities for example scuba
diving, that’s another factor which has affected marine environments. People don’t know how to
behave under water while they are diving and end up killing underwater nature. Lastly another
big reason is that the development has increased beach erosion and degradation allowing lots of
sediments to flow with the water. This makes the water unclear and stops underwater plants
from growing, that mean fish won’t have any food and the animal chain will slowly start to
break down.
Why does St. Lucia experience tropical storms?

St. Lucia is located quite close to the equator that’s why it does not have well defined seasons.
In general their weather is quite warm throughout the entire year. Rain is more common during
June to November, that’s also their hurricane season. The reason so many storms happen there
is because St. Lucia is on the hurricane belt. The hurricane belt in in the Atlantic ocean which is
likely to get hurricanes during those months. The hurricane belt has produced all the massive
storms which have damaged the place. Most of the activity happens on the Northwest of the
island.
Describe the damage caused by a recent tropical storm that affected St. Lucia.

In 2010 a tropical storm which was named Tomas hit St. Lucia. On the entire of the hurricanes
path it killed around 70 people, 8 of whom lived in St. Lucia. The damage to infrastructure in St.
Lucia was $336 million. Many homes, schools, lines were damaged even though they are
hurricane resistant but it did minimize the death toll. The winds were really strong at an average
rate of 77km/h and at its highest 110km/h, it was so strong trees got blown away, mud washed
out roads, the airport got close, electricity, water, all sorts of communications and many more
went down.