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Vers une gestion plus « culturelle » des milieux naturels en Océanie ? Toward a more « cultural » management of natural environments in Oceania ?
Abstract
Pacific island societies are usually described from a simplistic angle as homogeneous and culturally i n harmony with their natural environment. They would have an innate « know-how » to sustainably manage their resources which implies a conception o f governance essentially based on a simple transfer of decentralized competencies. However, pa cific island societies are heterogenous, dynamic and contemporaneous. Heterogeneous because composed of social groups in perpetual competition. Dynamic and contemporaneous because, far from remaining closed from the outside, they show a real ability for taking advantage of any opportunity whi ch will enable some groups of people to weigh on the social game, and development projects may often be hijacked. To face this complexity, the process of integrated management must rely on a less naïve and more pragmatic conception of « governance », amongst which local actors should play a more « negociated » role. Within the CRISP 1 Programme, the GERSA 2 project will have a transversal approach in compon ent 1 aiming at implementing Marine Protected Areas. The in-depth analysis of local soc ieties from the cultural geography and socio- economy points of view will totally be integrated i n the implementation of more usual tools, and should secure the effective involvement of local ac tors in the process of management, including in its technical aspects.
Shoreline erosion affects all Southwest Pacific island countries and territories. This erosion is directly related to global climate change. In this general context, the management of the coastal areas of the French Pacific territories is constrained by the customary status of most of the coastline of the Main Island of New Caledonia, of the Loyalty Islands and of Wallis and Futuna. The French national risk management model is not applicable even though the risks are high, notably because of high population density and a specific geomorphological context. Within the IFRECOR (France) and INTEGRE (European Union) projects, some thoughts on the content of a territorialized prevention and adaptation policy are presented. This policy takes into account concepts of vulnerability and resilience adapted to the local cultural context, but also the local population’s needs in an area with limited resources, where pressure is being felt due to aggregate removal, coral reef destruction and defective civil engineering works. Participatory management is a promising approach for raising awareness of the risks associated with climate change in the coastal zone and to find efficient solutions. It brings together expert and local knowledges to provide relevant and acceptable responses for Pacific peoples. Ongoing applications in French territories demonstrate tangible results but also difficulties. These applications may be transposable to a number of island states of the Pacific sharing the Oceanian vision of the shoreline.
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