Chapter 2
The Challenge of Demonstrating the Socio-economic
Benefits of Integrated Coastal Management
P.R. Burbridge
2.1
Introduction
The concept of Coastal Management has been with us for more than 30 years. In that
time there have been major advances in developing information on coastal areas and
the unique ecosystems that characterize the zone of transition from purely marine to
purely terrestrial environments which has been termed the "Coastal Zone". There have
also been major advances in the development of practical tools for improving the planning and management of human activities in coastal areas and in the management of
resources generated by coastal ecosystems. However, there have been mixed results in
the success of coastal management initiatives and the conservation of productive yet
fragile coastal ecosystems. Part of the problem that hinders the success of coastal management lies in the difficulty of convincing politicians, and senior managers responsible for sectoral agencies that there are significant advantages to be gained by investing
time, effort and funds in developing coastal management.
During the process of developing the concepts, principles and methodologies for
coastal management there has been a major change in emphasis away from "Coastal
Zone Management" and towards "Integrated Coastal Management". Initially people
were concerned with raising awareness of the unique ecological features of the ecotone
or zone of transition from marine to terrestrial environments and the need for special
management arrangements to control human activities to protect fragile coastal ecosystems. Experience has shown that, no matter how the boundaries of the "Zone" were
defined, there would always be external environmental processes or economic and
social influences that would transcend the boundaries of that zone. For example, the
increasing incidence of flooding in coastal districts is often the result of poor land
management practices in upland areas many miles away from the coast.
There has also been increasing recognition of the need to focus on the integration
of sectoral development policies in order to promote more sustainable development
of coastal resources, as exemplified by the international demand for shrimp which has
led to major conversions of coastal wetlands into aquaculture ponds in tropical developing nations. Sectoral agencies promoting this form of highly profitable aquaculture
have generally failed to recognize the economic and social costs resulting from the loss
of wetland habitats, including reduced support for stocks of fin fish and crustaceans
which sustain capture fisheries.
With the passage of time and the growing recognition of the strategic importance
of coastal areas and ecosystems in sustaining a wide range of human economic activities, there has been a move towards integrated planning and management of human
activities as a means of improving the economic efficiency of coastal resources utilisation while attempting to ensure that the resultil1-g development is socially equitable
The Challenge of Demonstrating the Socio-economic
Benefits of Integrated Coastal Management
P.R. Burbridge
2.1
Introduction
The concept of Coastal Management has been with us for more than 30 years. In that
time there have been major advances in developing information on coastal areas and
the unique ecosystems that characterize the zone of transition from purely marine to
purely terrestrial environments which has been termed the "Coastal Zone". There have
also been major advances in the development of practical tools for improving the planning and management of human activities in coastal areas and in the management of
resources generated by coastal ecosystems. However, there have been mixed results in
the success of coastal management initiatives and the conservation of productive yet
fragile coastal ecosystems. Part of the problem that hinders the success of coastal management lies in the difficulty of convincing politicians, and senior managers responsible for sectoral agencies that there are significant advantages to be gained by investing
time, effort and funds in developing coastal management.
During the process of developing the concepts, principles and methodologies for
coastal management there has been a major change in emphasis away from "Coastal
Zone Management" and towards "Integrated Coastal Management". Initially people
were concerned with raising awareness of the unique ecological features of the ecotone
or zone of transition from marine to terrestrial environments and the need for special
management arrangements to control human activities to protect fragile coastal ecosystems. Experience has shown that, no matter how the boundaries of the "Zone" were
defined, there would always be external environmental processes or economic and
social influences that would transcend the boundaries of that zone. For example, the
increasing incidence of flooding in coastal districts is often the result of poor land
management practices in upland areas many miles away from the coast.
There has also been increasing recognition of the need to focus on the integration
of sectoral development policies in order to promote more sustainable development
of coastal resources, as exemplified by the international demand for shrimp which has
led to major conversions of coastal wetlands into aquaculture ponds in tropical developing nations. Sectoral agencies promoting this form of highly profitable aquaculture
have generally failed to recognize the economic and social costs resulting from the loss
of wetland habitats, including reduced support for stocks of fin fish and crustaceans
which sustain capture fisheries.
With the passage of time and the growing recognition of the strategic importance
of coastal areas and ecosystems in sustaining a wide range of human economic activities, there has been a move towards integrated planning and management of human
activities as a means of improving the economic efficiency of coastal resources utilisation while attempting to ensure that the resultil1-g development is socially equitable