Guadeloupe is an archipelago made up of two main islands separated by a narrow inlet associated with several neighbouring islands, Marie-Galante, the archipelago of Les Saintes and La Désirade. This European Outermost Region (OR) is part of one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with a high rate of endemism, and rich and varied ecosystems (coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows) that are particularly sensitive to anthropogenic pressures. This Caribbean territory, with its incredibly rich culture, history and heritage, is also a major tourist attraction.
Within an island territory, the evolution of port infrastructures and their functions opens avenues for reflection on city-port interactions and the relationship between highly differentiated anthropized spaces. The OHM seeks to analyse the ways in which biodiversity is integrated into the urban-port system, the maintenance or transformation of local knowledge and practices and the dynamics generated by the requalification of Guadeloupe’s territories and the evolution of their uses. The reconfiguration of coastal practices and activities and the management of space are central issues. The perception of changes in the seaboard and the involvement of local populations are also key. Over the long term, the OHM also aims to observe and analyse landscape transformations, the challenges of socio-economic innovations and the changes in relationships between stakeholders and users of the coast.