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6 Prospects: Approaches of Integrated Management
For the First Assessment Report (FAR) in 1990 the formerly Working Group III was
focusing on response strategies to climate change. A subgroup for Coastal Zone Management was installed to work on options and adaptation to sea level rise and other impacts of
global change on coastal areas (IPCC, 1990a). The Second Assessment Report (SAR)
published in 1995 contained the contribution of the subgroup Coastal Zone Management in the official Working Group II which was charged with providing information
and recommendations to national and international policy on coastal zone management
strategies and long-term policies on adapting to climate change and sea level rise – see
IPCC (1996).
Currently, the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) was published in 2013 and 2014 –
see IPCC (2013, 2014a,b,c). Hereafter, adaptation strategies for coastal zones will be
described as compiled and shortly described in the beginning of the IPCC.
Adaptive Strategies in Coastal Zones
In 1989 a group of experts met in Florida to discuss adaptive options and policy implications of sea level rise (IPCC, 1989). The experts conducted a problem identification of sea
level rise on different types of coastal zones and compiled possible adaptation strategies.
Finally, four possible strategies where identified (IPCC, 1989, p. 3–4):
• defending a site to maintain its existing uses,
• adapting in place by modifying structures and various activities to accommodate rising
seas,
• retreating landward, spending resources on relocation rather than on coastal defenses,
• employing temporary solutions until escalating economic, social, and resource costs
require a different approach, at which time on of the previous options can be
implemented.
These experts categorize the potential response options which could be applied to achieve
one of the previous strategies in (see IPCC, 1989, p. 4):
• Technical, engineering and structural: These responses include the construction of infrastructure and also soft measures such as dikes, barriers, sand nourishment or raising
of coastal land by filling. On the one hand, it was acknowledged that some of these
responses are very costly and could result in significant environmental impacts. On the
other hand, they emphasized that these responses could be extremely effective in protecting existing land and structures and that they were in several countries already well
established and continuously improved.
• Natural, biological and ecological: These options can mitigate the impacts of rising
sea level by replacing lost resources or by developing alternative habitat areas that
could serve similar ecological functions. Options include creating wetlands and dunes,
stabilizing dunes by planting vegetation, and planting mangroves.
6 Prospects: Approaches of Integrated Management
For the First Assessment Report (FAR) in 1990 the formerly Working Group III was
focusing on response strategies to climate change. A subgroup for Coastal Zone Management was installed to work on options and adaptation to sea level rise and other impacts of
global change on coastal areas (IPCC, 1990a). The Second Assessment Report (SAR)
published in 1995 contained the contribution of the subgroup Coastal Zone Management in the official Working Group II which was charged with providing information
and recommendations to national and international policy on coastal zone management
strategies and long-term policies on adapting to climate change and sea level rise – see
IPCC (1996).
Currently, the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) was published in 2013 and 2014 –
see IPCC (2013, 2014a,b,c). Hereafter, adaptation strategies for coastal zones will be
described as compiled and shortly described in the beginning of the IPCC.
Adaptive Strategies in Coastal Zones
In 1989 a group of experts met in Florida to discuss adaptive options and policy implications of sea level rise (IPCC, 1989). The experts conducted a problem identification of sea
level rise on different types of coastal zones and compiled possible adaptation strategies.
Finally, four possible strategies where identified (IPCC, 1989, p. 3–4):
• defending a site to maintain its existing uses,
• adapting in place by modifying structures and various activities to accommodate rising
seas,
• retreating landward, spending resources on relocation rather than on coastal defenses,
• employing temporary solutions until escalating economic, social, and resource costs
require a different approach, at which time on of the previous options can be
implemented.
These experts categorize the potential response options which could be applied to achieve
one of the previous strategies in (see IPCC, 1989, p. 4):
• Technical, engineering and structural: These responses include the construction of infrastructure and also soft measures such as dikes, barriers, sand nourishment or raising
of coastal land by filling. On the one hand, it was acknowledged that some of these
responses are very costly and could result in significant environmental impacts. On the
other hand, they emphasized that these responses could be extremely effective in protecting existing land and structures and that they were in several countries already well
established and continuously improved.
• Natural, biological and ecological: These options can mitigate the impacts of rising
sea level by replacing lost resources or by developing alternative habitat areas that
could serve similar ecological functions. Options include creating wetlands and dunes,
stabilizing dunes by planting vegetation, and planting mangroves.