Geologist Xavier Moonan does not believe the massive coastal erosion which occurred at Bamboo Village, Cedros, was related to the series of minor earthquakes and recent volcanic eruption experienced in T&T in the past few weeks.
Rather, Moonan, who lectures in Structural Geology and Advanced Petroleum Geology at the University of the West Indies, says climate change and rising sea levels have contributed to coastal erosion in the Caribbean.
However, he believes the erosion in Cedros is a natural process which could be stymied through the construction of artificial reefs and mangrove cultivation.
“There is no real stopping the sea from coming in. You can build walls, but some countries have made artificial reefs which can reduce the impact of the waves on the coastline and allow deposition of material rather than erosion. I don’t know if this will work for short term, but it is something worth looking at,” Moonan said yesterday.
He said the village sits on a silty and clay-rich area which is exposed along the bay and these areas are prone to erosion. He suggested the clay-rich areas below the main sand-rich zones, which is where houses are built, were eroded over time compromising the area.
Saying artificial reefs are not costly, Moonan added, “We can chain tyres together or put a breaker of wreckage that can stop the impact of the waves on the coastline. The key thing is to preserve the land and protect the coastline.”
Moonan said the Institute of Marine Affairs has been studying the dynamics of erosion in all parts of the country.
However, researcher Gideon Hanoomansingh, who has been studying erosion on the south western peninsular for 20 years, said the amount of land lost over the years has been astonishing.
“Right at the moment, as we speak, there is a house perched to fall into the ocean in Guayaguayare. Land is being lost at a terrific rate in Granville. When we talk to people we hear denials from coastal development officials saying their work has nothing to do with land loss, but people are measuring how the land has been lost since developments have been taking place,” Hanoomansingh said.
Cedros resident Latiff Mohammed said since the Atlantic LNG plant was built the wave dynamics had changed in the peninsula.
He said there was about half a mile of beach-front stretching in front of their homes, but over the past few years the sea has backed up right behind their homes.