CIG to discuss worsening erosion crisis on 7MB
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has finally released a statement on the erosion of Seven Mile Beach, which Climate Resiliency Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks called “an urgent national matter” but which many people are calling a national crisis. In a press release issued Thursday evening, she said the CIG was keen to find a sustainable solution. To this end, a cross-governmental meeting with stakeholders and technocrats is planned for Monday to discuss the worsening problem.
The release said that earlier this week, government members met with Opposition Leader Joey Hew to discuss this pressing matter. The forthcoming meeting will include the technical team from the Department of Environment and key representatives from each of the ministries responsible for Environment, Planning, Tourism and Lands.
Over the last few weeks, multiple severe weather events have exacerbated the already worsening erosion on the southern end of Seven Mile Beach. These events have caused more seawalls, decks, and other concrete structures built on the famous beach to wash into the sea, polluting the marine environment, destroying more property and creating a vicious and rapid cycle of erosion.
“The erosion of Seven Mile Beach is undoubtedly an urgent national matter that not only affects homes and businesses but also our tourism product,” Ebanks-Wilks said. “This government is keen to continue our collaboration with private sector stakeholders to forge a sustainable solution to preserve and protect such an important national asset that supports both our economy and our environment.”
The experts at the DoE have been recommending for some time that property owners along the beachfront begin to plan a managed retreat. However, CNS understands that Cabinet still appears to be considering the costly and likely futile plan to import sand in an attempt to resolve the problem.
Local experts have told CNS that the situation cannot be solved by topping up the beach at this stage and that the concrete structures need to be moved before the beach is replenished. If they are not millions of dollars worth of sand would almost certainly be lost to the increasingly unpredictable weather and sea level rise.
There is also pushback on plans to make taxpayers pay the bill to protect luxury condos and hotels, especially as the DoE had warned many owners not to put pool decks and other concrete structures on a dynamic beach. The over-development of the famous beach appears to have reached a tipping point, as each sea wall built to protect a property fuels further erosion, creating a vicious cycle of erosion compounded by warming, rising seas and erratic weather events.
A number of condo strata are now threatening to sue the government because they have either been refused planning permission or applications for seawalls have been deferred and delayed due to the serious risk that such structures will make matters worse.
However, there are concerns that the government, under pressure from owners and developers, will make more ill-conceived decisions that will exacerbate the erosion.
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Category: Climate Change, Policy, Politics, Science & Nature
I tried to go and see the problem.
I went to the road by the Smurf houses. It also leads to MT’s house.
Despite having used it for 30 years I cannot now access the beach or coast there.
Big sign. Big gate. No Beach Access Allowed!
Given I have an inalienable right to access and peaceably use the entire length of SMB, whether it be 7 miles or 4 miles long, could someone please tell me how to access that area?
And given my exclusion from the area, could someone who lives in that area please explain why I and the other 88,000 of us who are denied access should give a moment’s concern about nature’s karma being unleashed.
And until there is an adequate answer, I will do all I lawfully and peaceably can to stop my government from raising a finger, or a cent, to help those who are authors of this problem and perpetuate division.
“DoE have been recommending for some time that property owners along the beachfront begin to plan a managed retreat”
Retreat means demolishing the buildings and rebuilding further back. Not quite a practical recommendation. Thanks DoE.
Seawalls in Cayman are a medium and long term total disaster.
Anyone who thinks placing themselves a seawall infront of their condo hasn’t a clue how they work. They also suffer from a misunderstanding – a seawall you see outside a condo block on SMB is not a ‘seawall’ that the rest of the world understands them to be. To read that people are upset their seawalls are held up in Planning?! Hilarious. You should count your lucky stars.
Seawalls in barrier islands and small Islands such as ours are best removed. The usual result of a condo development, or a rich mans private home building themselves a seawall in isolation to the neighbors property is that it increases the devastation to the side properties. The damage is passed sideways, doubling down on next doors beach. And on it goes.
Seawalls in Cayman are a net negative. Big time. They have never been part of a larger, co-ordinated plan – e.g, to place a seawall the entire length of SMB. That is the ONLY way it would actually work. (and its not feasible anyhow)
Seawalls do not work in island nations such as ours. Its that simple. For some reason (infer it as you may), Planning and Developers and CIG after CIG think that allowing a Seawall to be built will protect against sand erosion.
It. Does. Not. Work. We are too small. We allow every Parcel of land to willy nilly place their own seawalls with zero consideration of next door – which gets worse with each wave action. Dont believe me? Go look on SMB now at anywhere without a seawall that neighbors a property with one! (lawsuit time – all neighbors could sue those who put them in)
As usual in Cayman, we forget that we really should have remained as the Islands that time forgot and instead we continue to insist that we must be just as advanced as Florida and nearby mega-population centers.
we are not and we cannot be. We do not have the landmass to benefit from seawalls that DO work. These types of seawalls are well coordinated, they stretch often for miles, and they are built significantly inland, huge concrete structures, providing protection to beach zones BEHIND it, land side, whilst allowing the ocean to ebb and flow with natural dynamism, eating and replenishing ocean-side beach as the years go by.
We cannot do this in Cayman. For a start, its not exactly going to be picture perfect for the tourists!!
as to bringing in sand….people, please. Do not vote for any delusional candidate that supports shipping in sand. It will not work. It washes away. Especially with all the seawalls! FFS. How long is CIG or Dart or whoever going to keep supplying sand? And from where? Who pays for it? Just the SMB folk?! good luck
The only solution is to slowly redevelop and build further back. You can’t even put in a full SMB length seawall as we’re too narrow on WBR to truly benefit. There is no alternative. No option. Zero. It just needs to be let happen.
Those who own properties on the ocean – sorry, its your bargain and you lost. Life sucks. But you are ruining countless other lives by riding the values of your property south as we all have to pay increased insurance, etc, etc due to SMB owners short term wants, not needs.
Tough luck. We are probably 2 full generations away from resolving this issue as properties age-out and get torn down and built further back. But CIG now, with Developers and certain stakeholders solely interested in self and sales commissions and short termism will do their absolute best to ignore sanity and sell Cayman down the river/ocean current..…again
Typical! Wait until a problem reaches crisis point to pay attention?! Why wasn’t attention being paid to DoE, environmentalists, general public all these years? Morons in charge!
Stop permitting the concrete seawalls and structures near the high-water mark. 75 feet setback is not enough!!
Plant cocoplum or seagrape hedges!!!
Wait the honorable premier will throw our money at it to help her rich developer friends. Time to buy those votes!
f*** them, let it fall in the water, SMB is only for owners and developers now a days anyway…
As a SMB condo owner, I could say the same to you in Prospect and Savannah dealing with street flooding. Same to all of you that live east of GT that have to contend with crippling rush hour(s) traffic.
“f*** them”. You chose to live there.
What a nasty, selfish comment by 1:43pm — as long as it is not you “f*** them”.
With that attitude you’ll fit right in when we all move to Scotland.