Public perception of development issues: impact of water pollution on a small coastal community

Public participation has been recommended as an effective way to achieve sustainable development and a sound development policy should reflect the needs and the desires of the local community. To achieve effective public participation, a full understanding of public attitudes with regard to environmental/development issues is essential. We conducted a survey to study public attitudes and perceptions concerning coastal water pollution in Holbox Island, Quintana Roo State, Mexico and report our survey results together with the local inhabitants own ideas about how the development of the island should proceed. Results show that local inhabitants did not perceive that water pollution is a serious menace to their coastal community and most would be willing to participate in long-term water quality monitoring. A majority of the people interviewed do not want urbanisation and tourist development on Holbox Island, preferring instead to promote conservation of natural environment/resources and preservation of traditional local culture, suggesting that a policy of well-planned, moderate development would be the best strategy for this area. Our study has shown that environmental education and public awareness campaigns are useful tools for providing important local players with essential knowledge regarding environmental and social issues, thereby enabling policy makers to incorporate the desires of the local inhabitants in making the appropriate choices for preservation and development of Holbox Island and its surrounding ecosystems.