Island Sustainability II (Wit Transactions on Ecology and the Environment)

Book info: Island Sustainability II (Wit Transactions on Ecology and the Environment) (Hardcover, 228 pages) – WIT Press / Computational Mechanics, 2012. Language: English.

Containing the papers presented at the second conference organizedon island sustainability by the Wessex Institute of Technology, the bookaddresses the massive scale of seasonal population mobility that hassuch a profound effect on coastal regions and islands. The problems that result from large temporary increases in population are especially serious for islands and archipelagos, which have limited resources and possibilities of developing supporting infrastructures.Most islands cannot provide all the resources required by a large seasonaltourist population; in many cases basic requirements such as water and energy, as well as agricultural produce, must therefore be imported. Authorities need to carefully evaluate the impact of large seasonal population increases on the community and the resulting socio-economic factors, as well as issues related to transportation and communication,all of which should be part of an overall strategy. They must also ensureyear-round economic activity in order to achieve true sustainability.The topics covered include: Tourism Impact and Strategies; CommunityIssues; Changing Climate and Environment; Infrastructure; TransportIssues; Natural Resources; Energy Issues; Risk and Safety; WasteManagement; Island Services.