Blue Lagoon Heritage Concept Plan
This paper has been a collaborative effort spurred by a vision from Ms. Adrienne Joan Duperly. With the assistance of Saint Mary’s University and other concerned stakeholders, such as Dr. Warren Flint, Andrew Blanchard, Andrew Kiley, and Meghna Kararia, this document outlines the current issues faced in the Blue Lagoon, both environmentally and socially. The Concept Plan outlines potential initiatives which could be undertaken to maintain and rejuvenate the environmental integrity of the Blue Lagoon itself, as well as provide sustainable economic initiatives to help the local population. Ms. Duperly and the research team hope that by reading through the document, it will provide attendees of the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 with the background knowledge necessary to develop a unified vision for increasing the quality of life in the Blue Lagoon.
The following project abstract briefly outlines the topics discussed in the Blue Lagoon Heritage Concept Plan. For more information on any of the topics, please see the Blue Lagoon Heritage Concept Plan document.
The Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010
The Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 will follow the theme of Land, Wood and Water. It is a perfect opportunity for stakeholders to come together to work towards the achievement of two things; the first is saving a piece of Jamaica’s history and the second is creating sustainable employment opportunities for the local population. The Summit themes of Land, Wood, and Water are the focal point for all potential initiatives and addressing them should centre on the preservation of these aspects. All stakeholders will be encouraged to share their insights and visions in developing a plan to add sustainable value to the environment and local community.
An initiative which would see people maximizing earnings, but further harming the land, wood, and water surrounding the Blue Lagoon may seem to be favourable for some however other factors must be taken into consideration. If an initiative offers a significant financial return, but only offers short term gains before the natural surroundings decline to a level where people stop coming, it cannot be considered sustainable. There must be a mix between enhancing the environmental integrity of the area and the creation of local employment opportunities.
Preserving the Blue Lagoon can be used as a catalyst for developing the community as a whole, and that is the goal of the Blue Lagoon Heritage Concept Plan.
Stakeholders
The first step in moving this process from a vision to a reality was to identify who the key stakeholders are with regards to the Blue Lagoon. The following is a list of key stakeholders who will need to be engaged in any action taking place in the area:
• Local Inhabitants
• Villa Owners
• Jamaican Government
• Land owners
• Third Party Activists
Each stakeholder group has a unique interest in the development of the area. With that said, each group also possesses different skills and resources which will be required to spur any initiative, whether it be time, money, knowledge of the area, or connections within certain sectors. Each stakeholder is encouraged to present possible initiatives they feel could benefit the Blue Lagoon and surrounding areas.
Blue Lagoon and Port Antonio
The Blue Lagoon is one of Jamaica’s national treasures, but has recently become a victim to rising neglect and pollution levels. Pollution is beginning to affect the environmental integrity of the lagoon and the surrounding area. This has resulted in the community surrounding the Blue Lagoon to suffer as well. Port Antonio, the nearest town to the Blue Lagoon has felt the effects of changing trends in tourism towards a more all-inclusive theme. This has resulted in changed cruise ship schedules which exclude Port Antonio due to the lack of activities for visitors and venues for them to visit. This decline in tourism has directly affected the people living in the Blue Lagoon due to fewer employment opportunities. If action is not taken soon, the Blue Lagoon may never return to its once beautiful state and the people living in the area will lose their biggest employment creation asset.
Sustainable Community Development
Many possible initiatives will be presented by the stakeholder groups at the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010. For any of these initiatives to be successful they must be sustainable. The definition of sustainable is “capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment.” Because sustainability is such an important factor for the Blue Lagoon, the concept of sustainable community development needs to be understood. Dr Warren Flint, an expert in the field will be attending the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 to discuss the application of sustainable community development in the Blue Lagoon area. Sustainable community development aims to combine economic, social and environmental objectives within community development. Sustainable community development requires all stakeholders to be involved in the process. “The concept of a “sustainable community” does not describe just one type of neighbourhood, town, city or region. Activities that the environment can sustain and that citizen’s want and can afford may be quite different from community to community.” ‘’A sustainable community is continually adjusting to meet the social and economic needs of its residents while preserving the environment’s ability to support it.” “A sustainable community uses its resources to meet current needs while ensuring that adequate resources are available for future generations. It seeks a better quality of life for all of its residents while maintaining nature’s ability to function over time by minimizing waste, preventing pollution, promoting efficiency and developing local resources to revitalize the local economy.” The driving force behind the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 is to identify viable initiatives that will not only have an immediate positive impact on the local community and environmental surroundings, but also be sustainable.
Potential Initiatives
Some potential sustainable initiatives have been identified by various stakeholders and follow the theme of Land, Wood and Water. It is important to note that these are only possible initiatives and are offered for the purpose of sparking discussion of what might be.
Land
• UNESCO World Heritage Site
One initiative being presented for discussion is the possibility of having the Blue Lagoon designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO stands for The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. There are currently 890 World Heritage Sites located in 148 countries. In 1972 UNESCO sponsored an international agreement to establish a World Heritage List of sites which have either cultural or natural significance that would receive government protection.
Jamaica does not currently have any properties on the World Heritage List, but there are three properties which have been placed on the “tentative list”. These properties include; Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, Seville Heritage Park and The Underwater City of Port Royal. Once placed on the tentative list these properties are now eligible for nomination on to the World Heritage List.
Receiving an UNESCO World Heritage Site designation is a very long process and requires a great deal of effort from the local community and the Jamaican government. If the Blue Lagoon receives a World Heritage designation the environmental integrity of the property would be protected. The Blue Lagoon would also receive world wide exposure and could benefit from an increase in tourism. The increase in tourism could create many jobs in the local community and potentially increase government investment in the Blue Lagoon area.
• Blue Lagoon Day Passes
Blue Lagoon day passes would allow tourists and locals to enjoy the beautiful waters of the Blue Lagoon. Passes would be limited to ensure the environmental integrity of the property. The entrance fees will be used to maintain the Blue Lagoon and the facilities put in place. Day passes will cost $5 US per person.
• Modern Day Spa
The vision for this initiative is to have the facility built from locally sourced materials. The Day Spa would create jobs in the local community. With the proper training and marketing in place this initiative could provide a substantial revenue stream for the local economy. Day Spa fees would be $100 US per hour, with five employees serving an average of five clients per day. Assuming that the figures provided were to become a reality, this initiative could generate $2,500 US on a daily basis. A day pass to the Blue Lagoon could be included in the day spa
fees.
Wood
• Heritage Creative Center
This Centre would provide the locals with the opportunity to create authentic crafts, food, drinks, and clothing to be sold in a retail/market format. The building and all items sold will be generated from indigenous materials gathered from the local community and would showcase the skills of the local inhabitants. Potential revenues are estimated at $500 US per day. The center would serve to promote cultural awareness and allow visitors to learn firsthand about life
surrounding the Blue Lagoon.
Water
• Dock
Building a dock on the shoreline of the Blue Lagoon could employ three to four members of the local community while generating a revenue stream from rentals of self propelled watercrafts and docking fees for visiting boaters. The training required for this initiative would be minimal and the construction of the wharf would require a relatively small amount of capital and time to complete.
• Jetty
The purpose of a jetty would be to stop motorized watercraft from entering the Blue Lagoon. The Jetty could also serve as a dock for motorized watercrafts visiting the Blue Lagoon.
• Water Sports Facility
The water sports facility could provide visitors to the Blue Lagoon access to non-motorized watercrafts. These watercrafts could include; canoes, kayaks, etc. The crafts would be constructed using materials from the local area. The construction of these watercrafts would take place on site and provide visitors the opportunity to experience the traditional craftsmanship involved in the process. Ten rentals could potentially be available at $20 US per hour. Assuming that the watercrafts could be used for 8 hours a day and all crafts were fully utilized it could result in potential revenue of $1,600 US daily. There is also an opportunity for this facility to retail traditional watercrafts as the skills and expertise of the craftspeople grows.
Conclusions
There is no better time for action than now, and the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 proposes to be a stepping stone to sustainable development and the continued preservation of a Jamaican national treasure. There are two major resources which will be needed from concerned stakeholders to drive action and not have this process stall or result in another detailed proposal with nothing resulting from it.
The first and arguably most important is the commitment of time. In order to effectively drive action in the Blue Lagoon area volunteerism from stakeholders is essential. Establishing a collective vision among stakeholders to support specific initiatives will be vital to uniting the group. The time committed is an investment, to not only add value to the lives of the local community, but to preserve an area that has intrinsic value to all those in attendance. The second resource which will be needed for action to commence is financial support. Funding is accessible from various entities, but seed capital may need to come from concerned stakeholders to spur the initial development process. A motivation to see positive results must be present from all attendees of the Summit. With Prime Minister Bruce Golding becoming more heavily vested in community economic development and environmental sustainability the time for action is now. As a collective, establishing a unified vision at the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 is the first stepping stone to ensuring a brighter future for the Blue Lagoon area.
Although this is just one possible group of initiatives which could be undertaken, the creation of new jobs would also create spin off jobs in the area surrounding the Blue Lagoon. These jobs have the potential to generate a significant stream of income which will in turn flow into the Parish Coffers. The employed individuals will receive professional development opportunities through education programs focused on skill development. With new developments and infrastructure promoting
the culture and natural beauty of the Blue Lagoon, sustainable community awareness can be consistently reinforced as residents begin to interact in a new, vibrant way.
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