3.1 Definition of ICZM: Some Suggestions
37
of environmentally sustainable development” (Post and Lundin, 1996, p. v). The definition
of the term ICZM is as follows:
ICZM is a process of governance and consists of the legal and institutional framework necessary
to ensure that development and management plans for coastal zones are integrated with environmental (including social) goals and are made with the participation of those affected. The
purpose of ICZM is to maximize the benefits provided by coastal zones and to minimize the
conflicts and harmful effects of activities upon each other, on resources and on the environment.
The Model Law on Sustainable Management of Coastal Zone defines under Article 2 the
term of Integrated Management of Coastal Zones as follows (CEC, 2000):
“Integrated Management” shall mean sustainable development and use of coastal zones which
takes into consideration economic and social development linked to the presence of the sea
while protecting landscapes and the coastal zone’s fragile biological and ecological balances
for present and future generations.
Establishing a system of integrated management of coastal zones necessitates institutional
and legislative instruments to ensure participation of the relevant parties and co-ordination of
aims, policies and action from both the territorial and decision-making points of view. Integrated management of the coastal zone necessitates dealing with problems not as they arise but
in a comprehensive manner, taking account of the interaction between all the elements which
make up the environment.
Finally, the definition of ICZM by the European Union laid down in the ICZM Recommendation 2002/413/EC (EC, 2002):
Member States take into account the sustainable development strategy and the Decision of
the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the sixth Community environment
action programme, and take a strategic approach to the management of their coastal zones,
based on:
(a) protection of the coastal environment, based on an ecosystem approach preserving its integrity and functioning, and sustainable management of the natural resources of both the
marine and terrestrial components of the coastal zone;
(b) recognition of the threat to coastal zones posed by climate change and of the dangers
entailed by the rise in sea level and the increasing frequency and violence of storms;
(c) appropriate and ecologically responsible coastal protection measures, including protection
of coastal settlements and their cultural heritage;
(d) sustainable economic opportunities and employment options;
(e) a functioning social and cultural system in local communities;
(f) adequate accessible land for the public, both for recreational purposes and aesthetic reasons;
(g) in the case of remote coastal communities, maintenance or promotion of their cohesion;
(h) improved coordination of the actions taken by all the authorities concerned both at sea and
on land, in managing the sea-land interaction.
The EU definition provided in the recommendations on ICZM will be the basis for the
following chapters of this book.
37
of environmentally sustainable development” (Post and Lundin, 1996, p. v). The definition
of the term ICZM is as follows:
ICZM is a process of governance and consists of the legal and institutional framework necessary
to ensure that development and management plans for coastal zones are integrated with environmental (including social) goals and are made with the participation of those affected. The
purpose of ICZM is to maximize the benefits provided by coastal zones and to minimize the
conflicts and harmful effects of activities upon each other, on resources and on the environment.
The Model Law on Sustainable Management of Coastal Zone defines under Article 2 the
term of Integrated Management of Coastal Zones as follows (CEC, 2000):
“Integrated Management” shall mean sustainable development and use of coastal zones which
takes into consideration economic and social development linked to the presence of the sea
while protecting landscapes and the coastal zone’s fragile biological and ecological balances
for present and future generations.
Establishing a system of integrated management of coastal zones necessitates institutional
and legislative instruments to ensure participation of the relevant parties and co-ordination of
aims, policies and action from both the territorial and decision-making points of view. Integrated management of the coastal zone necessitates dealing with problems not as they arise but
in a comprehensive manner, taking account of the interaction between all the elements which
make up the environment.
Finally, the definition of ICZM by the European Union laid down in the ICZM Recommendation 2002/413/EC (EC, 2002):
Member States take into account the sustainable development strategy and the Decision of
the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the sixth Community environment
action programme, and take a strategic approach to the management of their coastal zones,
based on:
(a) protection of the coastal environment, based on an ecosystem approach preserving its integrity and functioning, and sustainable management of the natural resources of both the
marine and terrestrial components of the coastal zone;
(b) recognition of the threat to coastal zones posed by climate change and of the dangers
entailed by the rise in sea level and the increasing frequency and violence of storms;
(c) appropriate and ecologically responsible coastal protection measures, including protection
of coastal settlements and their cultural heritage;
(d) sustainable economic opportunities and employment options;
(e) a functioning social and cultural system in local communities;
(f) adequate accessible land for the public, both for recreational purposes and aesthetic reasons;
(g) in the case of remote coastal communities, maintenance or promotion of their cohesion;
(h) improved coordination of the actions taken by all the authorities concerned both at sea and
on land, in managing the sea-land interaction.
The EU definition provided in the recommendations on ICZM will be the basis for the
following chapters of this book.