Assessing Public Perceptions on Coastal Access -Community Profile: A Case Study of Ngqushwa Local Municipality, South Africa

Abstract

Access to available marine resources and portions of the coastline is critical to the welfare and viability of coastal societies. Yet, the views of coastal communities do not always find expression in the policies and decision-making processes of many governments. This study aimed at assessing the community’s perceptions about the accessibility of the coastline in Ngqushwa local municipality (South Africa), to offer information critical in reshaping post-apartheid (after 1994) coastal policy, processes and sustainable well-being. The target audience of this study was the ordinary members of the community living in two coastal wards (11 and 12) of Ngqushwa local municipality (NLM). To contextualize the study, a literature review was conducted. Data were collected from key community members using a questionnaire survey. Document analysis and observation were used to validate the research findings. Certain variables of the results were correlated using a cross-tabulation technique. SPSS software was used for data analysis. In general, the results of the study show that although communities value the coast for recreational, spiritual and livelihood; however, there is dissatisfaction with the availability of services and accessibility to certain access points due to various factors. Three main factors identified as obstacles to coastal access were private properties, distance to the shoreline and financial constraints. The conclusions call for multiple interventions such as improving community involvement, addressing accessibility, capacity building and improvement of socio-economic aspects. The findings of this perception survey are crucial in adding to the growing empirical studies about perceptions and guiding associated policies and processes to include community views.