Nel, J.

2nd edition (2022) including maps of futures with accompnaying trend projections and indicators.
1st edition (2020).

This is a story about one of the Dutch Caribbean islands: Bonaire.

A story that is shaped by the people of Bonaire and that may help develop this small beautiful island into an example where well-being and prosperity are balanced with cultural heritage. This vision builds further on the local history of planning, linking ongoing Bonairean and Dutch visions and strategies. It shows Bonaire as an example of embracing nature for our livelihoods.

Experts from Bonaire and The Netherlands have developed this vision for the island in 2050 to inspire you. It is the result of a series of design sessions, interviews and workshops with local experts, decision makers and researchers in the field of nature, culture, recreation, agricul - ture and governance. The results are views of a future in which economic development and a nature inclusive society join forces to maintain what is precious, and to improve what is already damaged or threatened. We call this a ‘nature inclusive vision’.

Some of the challenges that were addressed during the mapping process included managing (mass) tourism and population growth, prevent - ing high erosion rates due to free-roaming cat - tle, recharging fresh water in the soil, increasing the use of renewable energy, and adaptation to sea level rise. This would strengthen nature and tackle the one-sided dependency on tourism. Together, we have mapped potential nature-in - clusive measures and deliberated where, why and how these could be adopted. These poten - tial measures include for example rooftop water harvesting, reforestation and greening gardens using indigenous species, growing local food, creating cactus fences, installing solar panels and coral restoration.

This vision looks into the policy context and challenges and shows you the characteristics and cultural contexts of the different landscapes of Bonaire. It considers the inclusive concepts that nature can offer to help Bonaire in navigat - ing some of the challenges that were mapped out. This vision is illustrated by three-dimen - sional landscape visualisations; a Bonaire as you have never seen it before...

Contents of the booklet:

• A new story
• A policy background
• Nature inclusive planning
• Bonaire's challenges
  • Urban and elite estate expansion
  • A changing climate
  • Diversifying the economy
  • Using renewable energy
  • Managing tourism
  • Recharging fresh water in the soil
  • Maintaining, enhancing and restoring nature
  • Local produce and healthy diets
  • Flourishing cultural heritage
• Interweaving nature in Bonaire's landscapes - a vision towards the future
  • Kralendijk urban fabric
  • Calm cliff coast
  • Calcareous ancient forest plateau
  • North-western hills
  • Traditional valley of Rincon
  • Kunuku
  • Caribbean savanna
  • Windswept inhospitable northeast coast
  • Lac Lagoon
  • Southern flats
  • Scrubby southern limestone pavement
  • Unoccopied island of Klein Bonaire
• Next steps

This 2nd edition booklet and accompanying map with impact indicators, is based on the following reports:

• A nature incusive vision - Bonaire 2050
• Bonaire 2050 - putting the vision into numbers
• The state of cactus fences and kunuku's

Bonaire, one of the Dutch Caribbean islands, is facing major challenges: managing (mass) tourism and population growth, preventing high erosion rates due to free-roaming cattle, recharging fresh water into the soil, increasing the use of renewable energy, adaptation to sea level rise and extreme weather events, halting biodiversity loss and tackling the unilateral dependency on tourism. In thirty years, Bonaire inevitably will look different. Progressing on current trends will only increase the challenges, a new way of thinking, planning and acting is needed.

Together with local experts a vision for Bonaire in 2050 is portrayed, in which nature and natural processes play a key role in all development activities – a ‘nature inclusive vision’. The vision aims to inspire. It outlines a future in which economic development and a nature inclusive society join forces to maintain what is precious, and to improve what is already impaired or threatened.

The report starts by describing the policy context and challenges. It then looks at what nature inclusive concepts can offer to navigate some of the challenges Bonaire is experiencing illustrated by three-dimensional landscape visualisations.

Challenges:

• Urban and elite estate expansion
• A changing climate
• Diversifying the economy
• Managing tourism
• Recharging fresh water into the soil
• Using renewable energy
• Maintaining, enhancing and restoring nature
• Locl produce and healthy diets
• Flourishing cultural heritage

This report is also published as graphical, more accesible publication. You can find that booklet here.

The Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database (DCBD; www.dcbd.nl) is a nature and biodiversity web-platform for the Dutch Caribbean funded by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV). It was initiated in 2010 as a central knowledge store, and its original intent was primarily around guaranteeing long-term data availability in an environment that experiences a high turnover in project funds and personnel.

The DCBD has been in existence for a decade now. It allows users to assess the status of ecosystems, species, threats and pressures; to explore spatial data on biophysical, socio-economic, ecological and topographical properties; to navigate a listing of biodiversity and ecosystem-based information portals; and to search in a library for reports, journal articles, documents and raw data. A selection of the data and accompanying references on DCBD have also been synthesised and developed into indicator catalogues for management and policy making, which can inform reporting obligations based on (inter)national treaties, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The scope of the DCBD has therefore broadened as one initially intended primarily for data rescue to one that now provides a platform situated at the policy-science interface: for policy making on nature management and spatial planning decisions, and for science in exchange of research information.

The aim of this project is to evaluate the existing DCBD given this evolution to changing circumstances, with a view to understanding strategic directions for its future development. We evaluate user perspectives on:

• Its use, organization and dissemination of information
• Potential gaps in content, particularly for policy making application
• Potential future needs.

Key findings:

• The Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database (DCBD) has evolved from its original intent of mainly data rescue to fulfil a broader range of local and national policy needs
• DCBD remains a critical data repository for almost 20% of its users
• DCBD has an encouraging pipeline of new and experienced users which can leverage a vibrant community of practice for nature inclusive activities on the islands
• DCBD should remain positioned as a source of credible and scientifically-robust evidence for decision making
• DCDB is positioned in a local niche to meet the needs of the Dutch Caribbean – local is lekker
• Broader cross-sector awareness and dissemination is viewed as a priority strategic direction for DCBD
• Existing users are well-positioned to help leverage growth in public awareness and dissemination
• A structured maintenance and update plan is required
• Technical challenges highlighted by the respondents were mainly around the website search function and language access

Key recommendations:

• Maintenance, updates and user-friendliness of website
• Systematic development of monitoring indicators and factsheets to support policy and decision making
• Broaden the awareness and dissemination of DCBD to local communities and policy and science audienc