Photography: RR
Juanma Murua, consultant in the area of management of cities and territory, was responsible for the study carried out in the context of the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Ericeira World Surfing Reserve (EWSR) on the assessment of its impact in the last ten years. One of the main legacies of the European project EWSR+10, promoted by Ericeira Surf Clube (ESC) over more than a year, will involve the assessment of the impact of surfing activities (and related activities) throughout this decade, present and explored here in four distinct dimensions: environmental, economic, social and image. In this interview, Murua talks about the luminous aspects and also about the lunar sides of the Reserve, pointing out ways that could contribute to making it more sustainable.
What were the biggest difficulties you encountered while carrying out this study? Was The main one the scarcity of data specific to Ericeira?
Yes, the lack of data on Ericeira was the biggest difficulty. In studies like this, it is essential to have access to a large amount of data on the different areas of impact: environmental, social, sporting, economic or image. Firstly, these very different data are usually not available in the same place or are even public and managed by different administrations and agents. It is necessary to identify the source of the data, request it, wait for a response and access it. In addition, the main databases of existing socioeconomic and environmental indicators focus on the municipal dimension, and not on the scale of the parish or group of parishes, as is the case of the coastal territory of the municipality of Mafra, which includes 4 different parishes, being that the Reserve crosses 3 of them. That is why most of the data used refers to the municipality of Mafra which, being so vast, dilutes the effect and does not allow a clear and specific picture of the impact of the EWSR to be obtained.
What, in your opinion, are the main strengths and weaknesses of EWSR?
I would say the main strength is the recognition of EWSR by local residents. It is also recognized by tourists, which is good, but it seems to me that the positive feedback from residents offers great potential for generating social capital in Ericeira. As a weak point, I would like to point out the lack of a legal figure associated with the EWSR. In several works on Ericeira that we consulted throughout the process of preparing this study, this fragility is mentioned, but the truth is that it never came to fruition. It would be important to have a legal figure that facilitates and guarantees the management of the area in a sustainable way. The existence of an economic management tool for the EWSR also seems very relevant, from the outside to guarantee an adequate exploitation of the name EWSR, promoting its impact on the development of the territory itself. This has been an issue negatively valued by residents.
there were some problems associated with the rapid growth, but it seems to us that they have been low in relation to the gains made
In what way should/could this study be assumed as a tool to follow up and monitor the impacts of surfing in the Ericeira region?
We believe that the indicators used in the study can form a guiding framework that will henceforth allow the due annual monitoring for future monitoring and evaluation purposes. Our research was simple, but it allows that, starting from this, it can be repeated annually, not least because many of the data used comes from public databases. Furthermore, I am convinced that, with experience, these data and indicators can be greatly improved in order to better understand the impact of surfing in Ericeira and, therefore, maximize positive impacts and reduce costs in all areas.
In this study, you analysed potential costs and benefits in terms of impacts in four areas: social; environmental; economic and image – how do you assess, globally, the impacts of the EWSR over these ten years?
The impact has been positive and that is the general assessment. Ericeira has attracted a lot of people and this gives it a more open and sophisticated character. These characteristics make it have a younger, healthier and sportier population and a more dynamic and modern economic structure. As for costs, we had the prior perception that they would be higher. Yes, there were some problems associated with the rapid growth, but it seems to us that they have been low relative to the gains made.
Consecration World Surfing Reserve Ribeira D’Ilhas October 14, 2011 – ph. RR
With regard to Ericeira’s image, is there coherence between the perception of locals and visitors?
The most valued elements are practically the same: nature and the sea. The tranquility offered by living in such an environment is highly valued by the locals. The main reason for visiting is relaxation. Yes, there is consistency.
Based on this study, a guide will be presented with recommendations for the future of the EWSR, as well as the other World Surfing Reserves and World Surf Cities. How important is it for responsible entities to adopt and implement these guidelines?
Well, you have to be cautious. I dare not say that it is important that you implement our recommendations. But I believe that the results of this study and the recommendations issued as a result can help other Reserves and other Surf Cities to generate more useful knowledge and improve their interventions and, for this, it is essential that it is adapted to the local reality. In the context of this learning, I believe that the most important thing is the approach adopted. This should allow them to look at the different areas of impact in an integrated and comprehensive way. It is essential that they do not stop at a simple quantification of the economic impact and seek, above all, to understand the global impact of surfing in their territory. This seems to me to be an important lesson to be learned from our study and our recommendations and that can be perfectly adapted to any other similar reality.
The EWSR+10 project had as its motto “for a more sustainable reserve” – taking into account what you found during this study, do you think that there are conditions for the EWSR to become effectively more sustainable? What are the main steps that should be taken in this direction?
I want to be optimistic about sustainability, although on a general level it is difficult for me to be. Of course, there are conditions for the EWSR to be more sustainable. Despite the lack of a legal figure to guarantee the protection of the Reserve, this recognition is directly entering other territorial management plans, which could mean more and better protection measures.
resource management can be optimized to improve environmental impact
Are the main challenges for EWSR in the short, medium or long term?
I believe that the challenges are medium and long term, although it is necessary to take action now, in the short term. The main challenges we see are social and environmental. These are slow dynamics, but with a lot of inertia. Measures need to be taken immediately to prevent issues such as the impact of transportation, excessive urbanization or the stagnation of the local quality of life from continuing the negative trend demonstrated and which, later on, will be very difficult to reverse.
Between 2015 and 2020, the number of people with federative licenses in Ericeira grew by 138.7% – does this data attest to the growing attractiveness of surfing in Ericeira or, above all, an evolution of Ericeira Surf Clube, which is reflected in the attraction of federated athletes?
I am not able to establish cause and effect because they are data that are out of our control. The increasing attractiveness of an activity often improves the structures of clubs and organizations because it attracts more people, capacity, talent and resources. Improved structures and greater management capacity make activities more attractive. I lack data to know whether the chicken or the egg came first.
As it is a World Surfing Reserve, which mainly aims to protect the waves and their ecosystems, the environmental aspect should be predominant – how does the study assess these impacts in absolute terms and in their relationship and articulation with the economic sphere?
It’s a complicated junction. Economic growth, as measured by current economic indicators, is a consequence of a higher level of resource use, and this greater exploitation of resources has an environmental impact. It is clear that resource management can be optimized to improve environmental impact. That is the goal. In the study we did not contrast environmental impact with economic benefit. It seems to us that this is not the way. Can we assign an economic value for clean water? For how much money would we be willing to allow the urbanization of the entire coast? When initially planning the study, we decided that we would present indicators of the different impacts with the aim of facilitating political and technical decisions that are much more complex than the identification of a general impact assessment number based solely on economic values.
The perception of the residents who responded to the survey on the environmental impact of the Reserve is, in a way, mixed, revealing pride in the Reserve but criticizing a certain lack of protection measures adopted since its consecration, among other concrete aspects – how can we face this ambiguity?
I don’t see this as an ambiguity. In fact, it seems to me to be a very positive consistency. They are proud of the Reserve, value it positively and want protection to improve. The quality of the Reserve and the pride they feel in it make them more demanding.
It should also be added that the factor most valued by tourists (whether they are surfers or not) is the natural landscape of Ericeira, which reinforces the importance of its protection…
Yes, especially when it comes to soil protection. Ericeira’s attraction generates population and tourist growth, which in turn causes pressure for construction and the need to respond to this growth. If this growth is not controlled, it will lead to a loss of attractiveness. It is these pressures that must be addressed with good land use planning.
The main negative environmental impacts pointed out are the artificialization of the soil, due to urban pressure, the decrease in biodiversity (especially in the areas of access to the sea) and emissions derived from transport, mainly by tourists who arrive in Ericeira – can all of them be mitigated?
Artificialized soils are difficult to reverse. It is possible, but they are very slow processes. If population growth is also maintained, it is more complicated. Yes, it is possible to control this growth through good land use plans. The impacts on biodiversity are quite limited. We do not measure them ourselves, but we collect the results of a very interesting work by Helena Caria Pedro. In this work, she proposes some very interesting and simple-to-implement measures to reduce this impact. In relation to emissions derived from transport, we face a dilemma: as a Reserve we want more people to come surfing and the more people who come, the greater the impact. But from Ericeira or Mafra, little can be done to mitigate this influx and the impacts it generates. It is true that different measures can be taken to reduce transport emissions within the municipality. Even in relation to the necessary transport to or from Lisbon, the airport or surrounding municipalities. But the reduction of emissions from the plane of the Australian boy who responded to our survey is in the hands of other bodies that completely go beyond the radius of local intervention.
it is necessary to decide at what level of dependence on tourism we want to be
The perception of the residents who responded to the survey is especially negative with regard to the territorial impact… In what way is this data worrying, namely with regard to the sustainable development of the region under study?
It seems to us that this is a warning to those responsible for the urban model that has been developed in Ericeira. The results tell us: “Gentlemen, we want fewer cars on the streets, more green and open spaces, less asphalt… A model of village for people that improves our quality of life”. Note that, given its complexity, it seems to me that this issue should be relatively easy to address. It’s not cheap, but it’s simple.
In terms of the economic impact, some business areas stand out: real estate, which is the main drive of the municipality, hotels, tourist entertainment (whose number of operators has increased by 762.5% since 2011) and surf schools, that have quadrupled since the Reserve was consecrated – what reading should we make of this data?
Well, just like the reality they demonstrate and which is well known: Ericeira’s economy has become “touristised” and surfing has been an important lever in this process. From there, it is necessary to decide at what level of dependence on tourism we want to be and what measures to take in order to properly manage this dynamic.
In the conclusions of the study, you mention that you consider it possible to design a common assessment tool for all World Surfing Reserves, based particularly on some points of analysis present in this study – can you highlight some and point out some more fundamental characteristics for this desirable tool?
We used very common and accessible indicators. In fact, most of them come from public databases and are similar in most countries. When we designed the methodology of the study, that was a fundamental objective, that it would be usable by other regions. I believe that the study offers a proposal on which to work. There are many possible improvements. But it can serve as an impulse to carry on an assessment tool that can be used by the promoters of the Reserves, without the need to resort to complex academic studies. If they have, even better. We were able to access many. But we wanted the study to be able to offer an assessment without the need for them. This tool must fulfill a double condition that, although it seems very complicated, it is possible. It must be adapted to any Reserve, in order to offer the information that each Reserve needs, located in its territorial reality. But, at the same time, it must have a base of indicators that allow the comparison between the different Reserves. This sounds very complicated, but we believe it is possible. At least, that’s the intention with which we work.
Continuing with the conclusions, one of the highlights is the lack of knowledge of what it means to be a World Surfing Reserve, both among the resident population and the tourists who visit the Ericeira region. How can this be explained?
We found it very curious, really. I don’t know the causes, but I think we have already presented a proposal: to promote a legal figure or an instrument of economic management of the Reserve for a more appropriate use of the name EWSR.
Is there any other conclusion that you consider relevant to highlight or any data that you consider surprising?
We started from many hypotheses of possible positive and negative impacts that we obtained from an initial literature review. With these hypotheses we articulated the study. There was one that left me wanting to continue to delve into it: the transfer of capital gains outside the municipality. Residents who responded to the survey stated that economic growth was not reflected in an increase in their income and purchasing power. The economic indicator based on PORDATA data also shows this idea. This transfer of capital gains is usually common in tourist areas and that’s why we analyzed it. However, Ericeira’s growth led us to think that this did not happen here. It should be noted that the data we observed refer to the entire municipality of Mafra, so it is possible that there is some distortion in the analysis. But, yes, it’s a question that aroused my and the team’s curiosity and the desire to investigate it a little more.
Esta publicação também está disponível em | This article is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)
