|
|
 |
Integrated
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
|
|
|
| What
is integrated coastal zone management? |
|
Integrated
coastal zone management (ICZM) is by no means a new concept,
having first been proposed over thirty years ago. It has
only been since 150 government leaders signed the Convention
of Biological Diversity at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio
de Janeiro that there was official acknowledgement of the
need for a more holistic approach to conservation.
The
convention incorporated the idea that mankind is a valid
component of each ecosystem in which it exists for future
conservation efforts.
The purpose of ICZM is to achieve cooperative management
of coastal zones, providing a means of balancing social
and economic demands with the sustainable use of coastal
ecosystems thus ensuring their use for present and future
generations. ICZM recognizes the necessity to tackle issues
that cross the boundary between land and the oceans. |
©2006 J. Berman |
Although
ICZM refers to “management”, the ICZM process
covers the full process from initial information gathering
to monitoring of implementation of management measures.
The European Commission has defined Integrated Coastal
Zone Management (ICZM) as “A dynamic, multi-disciplinary
and iterative process to promote sustainable management
of coastal zones. It covers the full cycle of information
collection, planning (in its broadest sense), decision-making,
management and monitoring of implementation. ICZM uses
the informed participation and co-operation of all stakeholders
to assess the societal goals in a given coastal area,
and to take actions towards meeting these objectives.
ICZM seeks, over the long-term, to balance environmental,
economic, social cultural and recreational objectives,
all within the limits set by natural dynamics.”
The
aim of ICZM is to integrate planning and management within
a region across the land and sea interface, so that catchments,
coastal lands and adjacent marine waters can be treated
as one biophysical entity.
|
|
The ICZM framework involves consideration of the following
five core components when developing management and planning
arrangements within the coastal zone:
• a systems component, which considers the interactions
between human uses, natural systems, pressures and assessment
of risk;
• a balanced component, which considers social and
economic requirements and implications;
• a strategic component, which considers key issues
and challenges and how we need to respond;
• a partnership component, which recognizes the importance
of working together across all levels of government, industry
and the community; and
• a jurisdictional component, which recognizes the
role of management agencies and the coordination of legal
and consultative arrangements.
|
| Why
is ICZM necessary? |
|
What
is sustainable development?
The concept of sustainable development acknowledges
the principle that environmental objectives and socio-economic
well-being are inherently linked.
|
|
The
coastal areas of the world, some 356,000 km, are varied
and fragile ecosystems that sustain an incredible diversity
of flora and fauna; they are home to a large percentage
of the world population, a major source of food and raw
materials, a vital link for trade and transport, and a favoured
destination for leisure time. They are influenced by a myriad
of interrelated driving forces and pressures including hydrological,
geomorphologic, socio-economic, administrative, institutional
and cultural systems. Presently both the terrestrial and
marine aspects of coastal areas are subject to a number
of various environmental and human pressures. These pressures
are leading to the degradation of coastal habitats causing
loss of fisheries resources, reduced water quality and quantity,
accelerated erosion and accumulation of pollution. |
Responsibility
for many of the causative factors involved in this habitat
degradation lies with mankind. It is presently estimated
that 60% of the global population now live within 60 km
of the coast and this number is increasing. In recent years,
growing expendable incomes and the advent of cheaper travel
has led to some coastal areas becoming inundated with transient
seasonal populations. |
|
In
the Mediterranean alone, population increases due to seasonal
tourism range from 157% in Italy to a massive 765% in Monaco.
This has led to an unabated (and often unplanned) development
and conversion of natural coastlines to artificial structures
that has led to the creation of the “Med wall”,
where over 50% of the coastline is now dominated by concrete
structures. This development has contributed to the destruction
of two thirds of European wetlands during the last century.
Uncontrolled
development - whether from tourism or other sectors - can
rapidly overburden the natural carrying capacity of coastal
zones, polluting and degrading natural resources and eventually
reducing the quality of life for residents. This kind of
pressure can lead to the degradation of the resource base
that supports sustainable economic activity, including the
attributes of the coastal zone that attract tourists and
the environment that supports fish nurseries. This problem
is particularly significant in areas that are undergoing
rapid economic expansion, such as along the Mediterranean
coast and in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
|
| Destructive
fishing practices, overexploitation of marine resources,
maritime pollution, industrial and municipal waste, desertification,
climate change and rising sea levels also present equally
important threats to coastal ecosystems. About 80% of marine
pollution is from land-based activities, agricultural run-off
and municipal and industrial waste being two of the greatest
contributors; not only does this impact on these already
fragile ecosystems but it can also have serious consequences
for human health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates
that some 250 million clinical cases of mild gastroenteritis
and upper respiratory disease are caused every year by bathing
in contaminated seawater.
•
According to studies of the potential socioeconomic value
of ICZM, the estimated gross annual benefits of ICZM (including
habitat protection, local business and tourism) could be
worth up to EUR 4.2 billion for the European Union alone.
|
| How
is ICZM implemented and who is involved? |
|
ICZM
can only be achieved through constant collaboration and
communication between those who develop coastal zone policies,
the scientific community and relevant stakeholder. The European
Commissions Demonstration Programme on ICZM, launched in
1996, provides an illustration of the issues affecting coastal
zones and effective strategies to ensure efficient management
for both present and future generations.
The Demonstration Programme involved 35 projects to demonstrate
the application of ICZM using a series of cross-cutting
thematic analyses and research projects, these studies were
complemented by regular meetings with an experts group (consisting
of national experts and representatives of local administrations,
of socio- economic actors, and of NGOs) and by extensive
contact with other outside organizations. The Demonstration
Programme was also designed to document and assess the hypothesis
that the continued degradation and |
Factors
to be taken into consideration for efficient implementation
of ICZM:
• Environmental Issues (water quality, erosion,
conservation of biodiversity)
• Social Issues (tourism, job creation etc…)
• Economic Issues (regional prosperity, port
development etc…)
|
|
| mismanagement
of many of Europe’s coastal areas can be traced to problems
related to: Insufficient or inappropriate information about
the state of the coastal zones and also about the impact of
human activities (both economic and non-economic), Insufficient
coordination between different levels and sectors of administration,
and their policies and Insufficient participation and consultation
of the relevant stakeholders The
European Communities Demonstration Programme identified
seven key principles that must be implemented in order for
effective and sustainable management of coastal zones:
-
Take a wide-ranging perspective: In practice, projects
most commonly select the boundaries that are the simplest
to manage – frequently administrative boundaries.
However, administrative boundaries do not generally coincide
with boundaries of natural or social systems. The Wadden
Sea project is based on the natural entity that also is
subject to the Trilateral Cooperation on ministerial level
between Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.
|
|
-
Build
on an understanding of specific conditions in the area
of interest: Appropriate management of the coastal zone
requires developing an understanding of the specific
characteristics of the area in question, as well as
an appreciation of the pressures and driving forces
that are influencing its dynamics, including those that
come from outside of the local area. In the Strymonikos
Gulf, river borne pollution derived from agricultural
runoff in Bulgaria is affecting the quality of coastal
waters.
- Work
with natural processes: Successful coastal zone management
is based rather on an understanding of the natural processes
and dynamics of coastal systems; by working with these
processes, rather than against them, it increases the
long-term options, by making our activities more environmentally
sustainable and more economically profitable in the long
run.
- Ensure
that decisions taken today do not foreclose options for
the future: Coastal zone management must acknowledge the
uncertainty of future conditions and promote sufficiently
flexible management. At the same time, action must be
taken in accordance with the “precautionary principle”,
which states that rather than await certainty, regulators
should act in anticipation of any potential harm in order
to prevent it
- Use
of participatory planning to develop consensus: Participatory
planning gathers the opinions and perspectives of all
of the relevant stakeholders into the planning process,
this involvement helps builds commitment and shared responsibility,
harnesses local knowledge and helps to ensure identification
of real issues and tends to lead to more implementable
solutions.
- Ensure
the support and involvement of all relevant administrative
bodies: Almost all of the Demonstration Programme project
leaders have affirmed that coastal zone management is
not effective unless supported by all levels of administration
(EU, regional, national, local), as well as by all of
the relevant sectoral branches of administration concerned
with the target coastal area.
|
-
Use a combination of instruments: Coastal zone management
can only succeed through the use of multiple instruments,
including a mix of legal, economic instruments, voluntary
agreements, information provision, technological solutions,
research and education.
|
The
“Process” of ICZM:
The ICZM process starts with the awareness of issues
of common concern, which facilitates a dialogue and
exchange of views among interested and affected parties,
which in turn supports cooperation amongst the parties.
This is the basis for coordination of action, which
- in time - fosters integration of management
|
|
|
|
 |
