Chapter 19
Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Sweden:
Assessing Conflicts to Attain Sustainability
B. Glaeser
The Swedish coastal zone suffers from environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity,
overexploitation of fish stock and habitat destruction. Moreover, the coastal zone is an
area of conflicts between many users, representing different types of fishery, aquaculture, tourism and nature conservation, among others. On the other hand, Sweden has
taken measures to regulate coastal problems. Recently, efforts have been devoted to
"Sustainable Coastal Zone Management" (SUCOZOMA). They are directed towards
promoting a management of marine and coastal ecosystems that approaches the requirements of sustainability. The SUCOZOMA research program was launched in 1997
and is funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research
(MISTRA) for the period 1997-2000.
19.1
Context and Problems
Following an international trend, this research program involves researchers with different scientific backgrounds, combining life science, social science and planning and
development expertize.,The program combines 12 different projects, covering not only
technical issues - as traditionally done - but matching them with questions concerning:
• Which user groups can be identified in coastal zones?
• What are their perceptions and values as relating to the coastal zone?
• How do they interact with each other?
• Which conflicts result from this interaction, and how can they be resolved?
• What is the economic basis for these conflicts, and how does it relate to ecological
constraints?
• What are the consequences for society's use of scarce resources?
• Who owns these resources and who has access to them?
• Which national and international regimes manage this access in order to avoid
overexploitation and resource depletion?
• Which institutional arrangements are known and necessary to cope with access and
property rights?
• What are the planning tools and who participates in the planning processes?
• How can the planning processes be applied to achieve the overall goal: an economically and environmentally sustainable use of resources for human needs in a just
and equitable way?
Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Sweden:
Assessing Conflicts to Attain Sustainability
B. Glaeser
The Swedish coastal zone suffers from environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity,
overexploitation of fish stock and habitat destruction. Moreover, the coastal zone is an
area of conflicts between many users, representing different types of fishery, aquaculture, tourism and nature conservation, among others. On the other hand, Sweden has
taken measures to regulate coastal problems. Recently, efforts have been devoted to
"Sustainable Coastal Zone Management" (SUCOZOMA). They are directed towards
promoting a management of marine and coastal ecosystems that approaches the requirements of sustainability. The SUCOZOMA research program was launched in 1997
and is funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research
(MISTRA) for the period 1997-2000.
19.1
Context and Problems
Following an international trend, this research program involves researchers with different scientific backgrounds, combining life science, social science and planning and
development expertize.,The program combines 12 different projects, covering not only
technical issues - as traditionally done - but matching them with questions concerning:
• Which user groups can be identified in coastal zones?
• What are their perceptions and values as relating to the coastal zone?
• How do they interact with each other?
• Which conflicts result from this interaction, and how can they be resolved?
• What is the economic basis for these conflicts, and how does it relate to ecological
constraints?
• What are the consequences for society's use of scarce resources?
• Who owns these resources and who has access to them?
• Which national and international regimes manage this access in order to avoid
overexploitation and resource depletion?
• Which institutional arrangements are known and necessary to cope with access and
property rights?
• What are the planning tools and who participates in the planning processes?
• How can the planning processes be applied to achieve the overall goal: an economically and environmentally sustainable use of resources for human needs in a just
and equitable way?