Integrated coastal zone management

Although there have been many attempts to protect coastal areas and to encourage sustainable forms of coastal development, few have been successful. The main reason is that they have largely been sectoral, and there is fierce competition for coastal resources in many areas. For example, there is often conflict in coastal areas over access to the coastline, which is required for tourist beaches, marinas, aquaculture and cooling for power generation.
The environment of many coastal areas has been adversely affected by tourism. In many of the major resorts in the Mediterranean area, for example, the population more than doubles during the summer tourist season, and local government is hard pressed to provide the resources required. As a result, in several areas of the Mediterranean bathing water is polluted, the sea is over- fished, natural wetlands are drying up, and disposal of waste and sewage presents difficult problems. Almost all coastal and marine areas produce or support multiple products and services. Sectoral solutions usually 'transfer' the problem between resources, products and services. But coastal resources cannot be sustainably used by any interest group as their exclusive right. Most importantly, the sea cannot be regarded as a common basin for effluent disposal. Tourism will not flourish if the area loses its attraction to visitors; fisheries are usually on the receiving end of everyone else's problems. Industry and energy facilities can degrade the environment for all other activities. There is, therefore, a need to bring sectoral activities together to achieve a commonly acceptable coastal management framework.

Source: Guidelines for Integrated Management of Coastal and Marine Areas, UNEP, 1995.

Integrated coastal management (ICM) requires careful balancing of a wide range of ecological, social, cultural, governance and economic concerns. The concept of co-management, where local stakeholders share aspects of governance with the government and community participation is essential to the ICM process. Public education is an equally important component of coastal zone management.

The successful management of marine resources requires a solid understanding of how ecosystems function. This understanding incorporates the knowledge of the distribution of habitats and associated species, the interaction of species with each other, and their responses to the activities of man. It is difficult to conserve any particular resource in the absence of a comprehensive, integrated framework for policy, planning and management - information is key to successful coastal zone. To enhance resource development capabilities, each country should acquire and maintain an inventory of its coastal environments and resources. This inventory should provide a balance between long-term goals, such as ecosystem preservation and immediate demands, such as tourism. Thus, active research and monitoring programs play a key role in offering management options and potential consequences. In addition, a management plan should form the basis for a comprehensive management plan, outlining the types of activities and uses appropriate to a given area. One important aspect of a coastal zone management plan is the implementation of marine protected areas. However, marine protected areas are not just to be managed from the seaside of things. Any development on the terrestrial portion of the coastal zone should be planned for so that land-sea interactions and any adverse impacts on marine habitats are properly taken into account. Environmental Impact Assessments should be carried out for major developments. In addition, a management plan should include measures directed at controlling pollution. Following assessment of the pollution impact on both an organism and ecosystem level a monitoring program should be set up and measures to alleviate pollution in problem areas taken. Implementation of such a plan requires a legislative component, especially when it involves restrictions to current activities, such as fishing. However, in order to ensure compliance, the legislation in place requires adequate enforcement.