The Role of GIS In EEZ Management
101
The act of designation of an EEZ can itself lead to conflict, as valuable
resources are subject to competing demands. This is demonstrated in the conflict
involving the oil rich Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago of 60
islands located 100 miles from the Philippine coast (within the declared Philippine
EEZ), but are subject to a traditional territorial claim primarily by China, Brunei,
Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. The conflict revolves around gaining a share of the
resources in that marine area and has led to continuing military operations in the area
(Gittings, 1996).
The eagerness of China to expand its zone of maritime jurisdiction reflects a
continuing theme in China where the exploitation of the coastal and ocean resources
have made a leading contribution to economic development. However, there have been
associated resource conflicts, including conflicts between mariculture and shipping
development, offshore oil development and fisheries, tidal land reclamation and
wetland resource uses and waste disposal and the protection of human health (Yu,
1994). Thus, conflicts may involve a series of resource uses, producing a variety of
impacts at a variety of scales.
Through co-operation, resource conflicts and territorial claims can be
identified and addressed at an early stage. The availability of and effective use of
accurate information will greatly improve the likelihood of co-operation between
coastal states.
Information Requirements
A significant obstacle to integrated management is information on which to make
management decisions. Marine and coastal data is often patchy, of variable quality, in
a range of formats and held by a diffuse set of organisations. The problems associated
with the collection of coastal and marine data are well documented elsewhere (Bartlett,
1993; DOE, 1995); they include issues of data collection, compatibility, storage and
data gaps.
An extensive and accurate database relating to the physical, biological, social
and economic characteristics of the EEZ is necessary to make informed decisions for
effective and sustainable management of EEZ resources. The efficient use and
correlation of information is of equal importance, as poor information use can lead to
misunderstanding, the inefficient use of marine resources and sub-optimal economic
benefit. The effective use of sound information is therefore an essential prerequisite
for successful management (Russell and Upton, 1997).
Bidi (1992) supports the need for good quality information, and identifies
information exchange and co-operation also as being of key importance, describing
them as "the only way to ensure... countries derive benefit from the delimitation of
their EEZ". This represents a need to integrate data to reflect trans-EEZ processes.
An efficient mechanism to manage and display EEZ related information would
produce substantial benefits relating to the sustainable management of EEZ resources;
Geographic Information Systems are such a system.
101
The act of designation of an EEZ can itself lead to conflict, as valuable
resources are subject to competing demands. This is demonstrated in the conflict
involving the oil rich Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago of 60
islands located 100 miles from the Philippine coast (within the declared Philippine
EEZ), but are subject to a traditional territorial claim primarily by China, Brunei,
Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. The conflict revolves around gaining a share of the
resources in that marine area and has led to continuing military operations in the area
(Gittings, 1996).
The eagerness of China to expand its zone of maritime jurisdiction reflects a
continuing theme in China where the exploitation of the coastal and ocean resources
have made a leading contribution to economic development. However, there have been
associated resource conflicts, including conflicts between mariculture and shipping
development, offshore oil development and fisheries, tidal land reclamation and
wetland resource uses and waste disposal and the protection of human health (Yu,
1994). Thus, conflicts may involve a series of resource uses, producing a variety of
impacts at a variety of scales.
Through co-operation, resource conflicts and territorial claims can be
identified and addressed at an early stage. The availability of and effective use of
accurate information will greatly improve the likelihood of co-operation between
coastal states.
Information Requirements
A significant obstacle to integrated management is information on which to make
management decisions. Marine and coastal data is often patchy, of variable quality, in
a range of formats and held by a diffuse set of organisations. The problems associated
with the collection of coastal and marine data are well documented elsewhere (Bartlett,
1993; DOE, 1995); they include issues of data collection, compatibility, storage and
data gaps.
An extensive and accurate database relating to the physical, biological, social
and economic characteristics of the EEZ is necessary to make informed decisions for
effective and sustainable management of EEZ resources. The efficient use and
correlation of information is of equal importance, as poor information use can lead to
misunderstanding, the inefficient use of marine resources and sub-optimal economic
benefit. The effective use of sound information is therefore an essential prerequisite
for successful management (Russell and Upton, 1997).
Bidi (1992) supports the need for good quality information, and identifies
information exchange and co-operation also as being of key importance, describing
them as "the only way to ensure... countries derive benefit from the delimitation of
their EEZ". This represents a need to integrate data to reflect trans-EEZ processes.
An efficient mechanism to manage and display EEZ related information would
produce substantial benefits relating to the sustainable management of EEZ resources;
Geographic Information Systems are such a system.