Coastal Considerations

What Defines our Coast?

When considering coastal tourism planning, the ‘coast’ is not just where water meets the sea. It is a transition zone between the land and the sea including estuaries, tidal rivers, salt marshes, wetlands, beaches, and rocky headlands. This ‘coastal zone’ provides significant habitat to the diverse array of natural species that live in Nova Scotia and also provides ecological functions including protection against pollution, storm surges and erosion. From a destination development perspective, it is important to understand that in addition to these ecological functions, the Nova Scotia seacoast forms the foundation of the provincial tourism product.

Challenges?

Many coastal destinations are sensitive to the impacts of increasing development and climate change. The air, sea and ground temperatures are rising, resulting in more frequent and intense storms and changing precipitation patterns. These factors affect both coastal infrastructure and a wide array of human activities - including tourism. Tie this all to the wave of coastal development occurring in Nova Scotia and emerging coastal industries such as aquaculture, quarries and oil and gas activities and the issues become even more immediate.

Key coastal considerations for destination development planners include: the loss of traditional coastal access points due to development pressures; increasing percentages of privately owned coastal land (approximately 95% in NS); liability concerns related to coastal land use and access; increases in storm surge flooding; accelerated erosion of beaches and coastal dunes; degradation of coastal wetlands and increasing saltwater intrusion.

Tourism?

People are motivated to come to your destination for a variety of reasons ranging from enrichment to exploration. Escapism is also a motivator and increasing as tourists seek relief from on-going climate warming in western Europe and west and central North America in our relatively cooler and fresher province. This doesn’t mean climate change is good for business! Climate change may also negatively affect Nova Scotia tourism destinations and, when linked with insensitive use and ad hoc planning, there are concerns of accelerating erosion of coastal tourist sites, damaging coastal trails and board walks and causing siltation of our waterways to name but a few.

What Can Tourism Destination Planners Do?

To begin to address the impacts of climate change and issues related to sustainable coastal tourism development, TDA committees need to consider these issues.

1. Areas in your destination that are sensitive to increased visitation and development must be identified. Where are your coastal access points? Are there sensitive habitats (e.g., salt marshes, flood plains, species at risk, existing vulnerable coastal areas – eroding cliffs, beaches)?
2. Be aware of tools to address coastal zone development and management and make use of them whenever possible. Many resources exist to assist sustainable coastal planning, but questions must first be asked and answered.
3. Beaches, Dunes; as Canada’s Seacoast destination, vital selling points in your destination’s marketing strategy are your beaches. Have you considered access issues and development pressures? Are you aware of the system of protected beaches and what designation means? Are you aware of new methods to manage sand dune succession and erosion?
4. Storm Surges, Flooding; does your community have special requirements for new construction in flood hazard areas? Do you know the depth necessary for structure foundations to protect against erosion that could be caused by storm surges in coastal flood hazard areas? Are there plans in place to advise boat and marina owners in the event of a major storm?
5. Sustainable Design Principles; sustainable site design requires holistic, ecologically based strategies to create projects that do not alter or impair but instead help repair and restore existing sites in aesthetically pleasing ways. Are you aware of emerging technologies and sustainable approaches to coastal tourism development? Do you know how coastal development can actually enhance natural integrity?

Resources to Assist Tourism Destination Area’s with Coastal Planning

Nova Scotia 2005 Sustainable Coastal Tourism Strategy

Strategy recommended by the Tourism Vision led by TIANS in partnership Committee with government and industry to advance sustainable tourism practice throughout Nova Scotia. TIANS houses the Coastal Tourism Strategy and can also provide information on sustainable tourism practices.
2005 Sustainable Coastal Tourism Strategy

Department of Natural Resources Manages the system of Provincial Parks and Beaches.

www.gov.ns.ca/natr/parks/

One report recommends guidelines for protected beaches in the face of increasing development www.gov.ns.ca/natr/parks/publications/kingsburg2.pdf

Department of Environment (Protected Areas Branch)

Manages the provincial system of protected wilderness areas.
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/protectedareas/

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture

Responsible for inland fisheries and inland waters and for aspects of federal coastal waters through management agreements. Manages the Provincial Oceans Network (PON). www.gov.ns.ca/fish/

The Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Network

National network that brings researchers together with decision-makers from industry, governments, and nongovernment organizations to address climate change issues.
www.c-ciarn.ca/

Natural Resources Canada

www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/com/index-eng.php

Tourism Industry Association of Canada

Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee

Provides comprehensive resource links on a multitude of atlantic coastal issues.
www.aczisc.dal.ca

Local Environmental Organizations:

Nova Scotia Ecology Action Centre

Nova Scotia Coastal Communities Network