P.R. Burbridge
and environmentally sound. In other words, to manage for sustainable development of
coastal areas and resources. However, attaining sustainable utilisation of coastal areas requires far more sophisticated social, economic and environmental information, and the
effective use of that information in development planning and management, than is the
case for purely marine or purely terrestrial environments. This is due to the highly productive and diverse nature of coastal ecosystems and the corresponding diverse forms
of economic activity that have developed. Many of these activities can be sustained by
coastal ecosystems at the same time without unacceptable effects while others are often
mutually exclusive and their development imposes external economic, social and environmental costs on other activities. Thus many of the most complex sustainable development challenges facing mankind are associated with coastal resources.
In theory the use of coastal ecosystems should be planned and managed so that local
conpnunities, nations and the global economy gain the maximum benefit by optimising
various sustainable uses. However, we must ask ourselves if such a goal can be achieved
given the practical problems of assessing what forms and level of human use of coastal
systems can be sustained. Many of these uses may be incompatible and there will be
those who will gain and those who will lose even with multiple use management or
other means of promoting optimal mixes of uses.
We therefore need to enhance peoples' awareness of the benefits and disbenefits
associated with different forms of coastal development. Many of the values associated
with coastal ecosystems, such as their contribution to the control of carbon cycles, their
bio-diversity or their aesthetic beauty, are difficult to assess. Such values mean little to
coastal communities which may be burdened by poverty and consider that development is passing them by. If we focus on the global ideal of sustainable development of
coastal ecosystems and neglect the interests of local people we will be in danger of
neglecting forces that will undermine policies, plans and other measures designed to
achieve national and international sustainable development objectives.
One way to achieve sustainable development of the multi-faceted resources derived
from coastal ecosystems is to adopt multiple-use management of coastal ecosystems
and their resources. With sound management, multiple-use management can improve
the efficiency and equity of resource allocation and can help managers optimize the
total economic benefit to activities which depend upon coastal resources. Multiple-use
is an organising principle where the choice of management boundaries for coastal
systems is based on functions and Critical Linkages with other systems similar to approaches adopted in watershed management. The management of processes is more
important than management of uses. While uses have to be managed in terms of areal
extent and intensity of use, it is more important to base the management of uses on
criteria such as complementarity of uses in respect to services or functions (forest
harvesting versus nutrient flows to support fisheries in Mangrove), in respect to opportunities to make better use investment on infrastructure or other cost reducing
opportunities, and non-consumptive forms of complementary use - e.g. conservation
of mangrove for sustainable capture fisheries development supporting the maintenance
of coastal erosion control of benefit to navigation.
Given the broad and diverse array of human activities that are directly or indirectly
supported, there is more to be gained in both economic and social terms by maintaining the health and productivity of coastal systems than can be normally achieved
through their allocation to single purpose and exclusive uses, or their conversion to
and environmentally sound. In other words, to manage for sustainable development of
coastal areas and resources. However, attaining sustainable utilisation of coastal areas requires far more sophisticated social, economic and environmental information, and the
effective use of that information in development planning and management, than is the
case for purely marine or purely terrestrial environments. This is due to the highly productive and diverse nature of coastal ecosystems and the corresponding diverse forms
of economic activity that have developed. Many of these activities can be sustained by
coastal ecosystems at the same time without unacceptable effects while others are often
mutually exclusive and their development imposes external economic, social and environmental costs on other activities. Thus many of the most complex sustainable development challenges facing mankind are associated with coastal resources.
In theory the use of coastal ecosystems should be planned and managed so that local
conpnunities, nations and the global economy gain the maximum benefit by optimising
various sustainable uses. However, we must ask ourselves if such a goal can be achieved
given the practical problems of assessing what forms and level of human use of coastal
systems can be sustained. Many of these uses may be incompatible and there will be
those who will gain and those who will lose even with multiple use management or
other means of promoting optimal mixes of uses.
We therefore need to enhance peoples' awareness of the benefits and disbenefits
associated with different forms of coastal development. Many of the values associated
with coastal ecosystems, such as their contribution to the control of carbon cycles, their
bio-diversity or their aesthetic beauty, are difficult to assess. Such values mean little to
coastal communities which may be burdened by poverty and consider that development is passing them by. If we focus on the global ideal of sustainable development of
coastal ecosystems and neglect the interests of local people we will be in danger of
neglecting forces that will undermine policies, plans and other measures designed to
achieve national and international sustainable development objectives.
One way to achieve sustainable development of the multi-faceted resources derived
from coastal ecosystems is to adopt multiple-use management of coastal ecosystems
and their resources. With sound management, multiple-use management can improve
the efficiency and equity of resource allocation and can help managers optimize the
total economic benefit to activities which depend upon coastal resources. Multiple-use
is an organising principle where the choice of management boundaries for coastal
systems is based on functions and Critical Linkages with other systems similar to approaches adopted in watershed management. The management of processes is more
important than management of uses. While uses have to be managed in terms of areal
extent and intensity of use, it is more important to base the management of uses on
criteria such as complementarity of uses in respect to services or functions (forest
harvesting versus nutrient flows to support fisheries in Mangrove), in respect to opportunities to make better use investment on infrastructure or other cost reducing
opportunities, and non-consumptive forms of complementary use - e.g. conservation
of mangrove for sustainable capture fisheries development supporting the maintenance
of coastal erosion control of benefit to navigation.
Given the broad and diverse array of human activities that are directly or indirectly
supported, there is more to be gained in both economic and social terms by maintaining the health and productivity of coastal systems than can be normally achieved
through their allocation to single purpose and exclusive uses, or their conversion to