Abstract
Based on the study of nine atolls of the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia, this article assesses the anthropogenic disturbances that disrupt atoll island natural dynamics and thereby undermine the ability of these islands to naturally adjust to climate-related pressures. It more specifically investigates to what extent the existing legal framework limits these disturbances. The results show that 20 types of human disturbances occurring in the intertidal, coastal and inland areas contribute to island destabilisation. Land reclamation, sediment extraction from coastal and intertidal areas, coastal developments and engineered protection structures are the main disturbances observed. These disturbances are increasingly occurring on both urban and rural islands. We found that law has failed in regulating these disturbances for various reasons, related to both the content of law (including legal gaps and the lack of atoll-specific legal provisions) and the failure of its implementation, which reflects governance issues. In this context, taking control of human disturbances requires not only strengthening and updating existing legal tools, but also and most importantly creating the enabling conditions for law to be effective, especially through the strengthening of institutions’ capacities and public involvement. Additionally, promoting alternatives to locally carried out sediment mining and encouraging the construction of raised houses would help taking control of human-induced island destabilisation.
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Notes
An organic law is a law whose existence is provisioned by the text of the 1958 Constitution itself.
Deliberation of the French Polynesia Assembly (FPA) no. 2004-34, 12 February 2004, relating to the composition and the administration of public domain in French Polynesia (Official Journal of French Polynesia, OJFP, 19th February 2004).
Another Deliberation addresses aggregate extraction: Deliberation FPA no. 68-136, 12 December 1968, ruling sand, rock and stone extraction from rivers, watercourses and the seaside (OJFP, 31st January 1969).
Ministerial Decree no. 3, 2 January 1992, setting fees for temporary occupation of the Public Maritime Domain (OJFP, 16 January 1992).
These conditions were stricter before the Polynesian law of 25 August 2016 (no. 2016-32): before 2016, a 10-year regular occupation was required along with land reclamation use for principal residency (individuals) or main activity (societies).
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The authors acknowledge the National Research Agency for funding the STORISK research project (ANR-15-CE03-0003)–Small islands addressing climate change: towards storylines of risk and adaptation (2016–2020). They thank Valentin Pillet and Camille Salmon (UMR LIENSs 7266, University of la Rochelle-CNRS) for providing complementary information on human disturbances on some atolls and Bernard Salvat for providing demographic data.
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Duvat, V.K.E., Stahl, L., Costa, S. et al. Taking control of human-induced destabilisation of atoll islands: lessons learnt from the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. Sustain Sci 15, 569–586 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00722-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00722-8