by Richard C. Murphy, Ph.D.
The following article is adapted from a presentation made by Dr. Richard C. Murphy, at the WORLD ECOTOUR Conference 1997, with regard to the development of the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort and with an emphasis on responsible ecological design as a means of providing for a sustainable future. Dr. Murphy is an Advisory Board Member of the Turtle Island Institute. As a long-time associate of Jean-Michael Cousteau and involved directly in the design and construction of the Jean-Michael Cousteau Fiji Islands resort, he is now associated with Jean-Michael Cousteau in Ocean Futures - See the Ocean Futures website. For further information, contact Dr. Murphy at: RMurphy000@aol.com
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For most of our 3 million years of evolution we have struggled to survive under the overwhelming forces of nature. Now we seem to have separated ourselves from nature in many ways, both physically and spiritually. This is an illusion! We are very much connected to nature - more than most people realize.
Even though we may not consciously think of it, our fundamental connection to all life and a need to feel this is what drives most of us to travel and seek spiritual, mental and physical restoration in nature. This is a reconnection to our ancestral heritage. In taking the public to islands for over 20 years and offering an opportunity for connection and restoration, we have found a quality setting, and simple yet tasteful amenities which are the essential qualities for rejuvenation. Since our origins are with the sea, exploring the underwater wonders is an important ingredient to these experiences.
Our involvement in the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort (JMC Fiji) on the island of Vanua Levu is an opportunity to put into practical application many of the things Captain Cousteau has been emphasizing for the last 40 years.
Our design objectives are to create an environmentally responsible facility that is elegant, yet simple, so as to promote an appreciation of, and connection with, the natural and cultural qualities of Fiji. Diving is superb and we have a full-time marine biologist on staff to guide our guests through the magnificent coral gardens in our front yard.
We hope our facility will become a model for the tourist industry in Fiji and elsewhere.
Design Philosophy
We take a pragmatic approach to development and environmental protection. Nature has value and as the demand for an experience in nature increases, due to the depletion of natural resources worldwide, so will the value of our facility. Consequently, we do everything possible to protect our natural resources to insure the highest economic return on our investment. Economic sustainability requires ecological sustainability. This is not a constraint but rather a guiding principle that offers numerous possibilities for those who understand ecology and environmental design. Our design ethic is to use, as much as is possible, the services of nature because nature does work without human input, renews and repairs itself for free, replaces itself for free, adapts to change naturally and runs totally on solar energy. Thus we employ what have been called living machines, biosystems and functional landscapes in our Fiji design. Energy sustainability, integrated food production, water conservation, and waste reduction strategies are being implemented as the foundation of our integrated systems.
There are a number of benefits derived from this design approach. People are connected to, rather than separated from nature. Visitors see that it is possible to live in harmony with nature and still enjoy a high quality of life, and most importantly, we can demonstrate that environmentally responsible design is practical and economically viable. The fact that it is less expensive to employ environmental systems, than to use traditional approaches, is obvious when one remembers that nature does its work for free.
As we endeavor to minimize ecological impact and design with nature, so we must consider the social environment and implement culturally responsible design. We are very sensitive to the fact that we are guests of the Fijian people and as a member of the regional community we are obliged to accept certain responsibilities. In a very real sense the resort owners and local people are partners in this development, and this has been reflected in the planning process. It is the locals who staff the resort and it is a local
people with whom we visit in villages or along the beaches. They have much to gain from a well-designed program and, as we have seen elsewhere, they have much to lose if their culture is undermined by poor design. For these reasons we have worked very closely with local chiefs and villagers to ensure our facility and activities are compatible with their culture, traditions and aspirations for the future. We have invited them to participate in our development and tried to incorporate their suggestions and concerns in the design and operation of our facility. We schedule regular meetings to keep the dialogue open and the exchange of ideas flowing.
Our commitment to environmental design goes beyond the boundaries of the resort. We have established a relationship with the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji to ensure that lessons learned can be shared with students from throughout the South Pacific. We consider this as a demonstration project to educate others about the long-term benefits of responsible design -- ecologically and economically. Additional, community-related programs are also in effect. In addition, sustainability goes hand in hand with self-sufficiency that is critical for communities in isolated areas. The keystone of sustainability and self-sufficiency lies in integrated systems that produce less waste and use our byproducts in a productive way to minimize the need for external products. We hope to prove what we preach that human beings can have a high quality of life without destroying the natural resource base that supports all activity.
Conclusion
If our species is to continue on this planet, we must create new strategies for sustainability. Being at a resort on a remote island in the middle of the ocean offers a microcosm view of the world but in an easier to
understand setting. It gives us an opportunity to educate people, in a subtle yet concrete manner, about the benefits of protecting nature and the fact that living responsibly does not mean a reduction in quality of life.
Certainly, we don't have all the answers, but we are searching. In addition, we encourage our guests to participate in this quest for more sustainable ways of organizing our business and personal lives.
We have tried to create an environment and experience from which our guests will return home enriched and charged with a sense of hope that it is possible to live in harmony with the planet.
Copyright 1997, Dr. Richard C. Murphy. All rights reserved.
Photographs Copyright © Tom Ordway All rights reserved.