Preface
Coastal zone management is practised in some way or another in all coastal regions
of the w·orld. Historically, these practices have been dominated by the construction
and deployment of engineering structures to defend economically valuable coastal
assets against flooding and erosion. More recently the continued expansion of a range
of, often competing, socio-economic activities at or close to the coastline such as fisheries, tourism, oil and gas extraction, nature conservation, industrial and urban development, has served to complicate the management task. Given the acceptance by
governments of the general goal of sustainable development, a more sustainable coastal
resources utilisation strategy will require a more interdisciplinary and integrated management process. Two recent conferences focused on the need for and the characteristics of integrated coastal management. The EERO-GKSS CONFERENCE "Changing
Estuarine and Coastal Environments: sustainability and biodiversity in relation to economic aspects" addressed European issues; while the CDG-GKSS conference "Socioeconomic Benefits of Integrated Coastal Zone Management" concentrated more on
developing countries.
These two conferences and current activities taking place under the auspices of
the IGBP-LOICZ scientific programme formed the knowledge pool for this book. The
volume is not therefore a straightforward proceedings publication, rather it is a collection of writings selected on the basis of novelty and insightfulness. Other contributions have also been included in order to survey the strengths and limitations of a
range of existing coastal zone management practises operating in different 'local' environmental and socio-economic contexts. The core message that is illuminated is that
the management challenges posed are complex and multifaceted, encompassing physical forcing, natural hazard and variability and vulnerability, together with socio-cultural vulnerability problems.
The editors, May 1999
Coastal zone management is practised in some way or another in all coastal regions
of the w·orld. Historically, these practices have been dominated by the construction
and deployment of engineering structures to defend economically valuable coastal
assets against flooding and erosion. More recently the continued expansion of a range
of, often competing, socio-economic activities at or close to the coastline such as fisheries, tourism, oil and gas extraction, nature conservation, industrial and urban development, has served to complicate the management task. Given the acceptance by
governments of the general goal of sustainable development, a more sustainable coastal
resources utilisation strategy will require a more interdisciplinary and integrated management process. Two recent conferences focused on the need for and the characteristics of integrated coastal management. The EERO-GKSS CONFERENCE "Changing
Estuarine and Coastal Environments: sustainability and biodiversity in relation to economic aspects" addressed European issues; while the CDG-GKSS conference "Socioeconomic Benefits of Integrated Coastal Zone Management" concentrated more on
developing countries.
These two conferences and current activities taking place under the auspices of
the IGBP-LOICZ scientific programme formed the knowledge pool for this book. The
volume is not therefore a straightforward proceedings publication, rather it is a collection of writings selected on the basis of novelty and insightfulness. Other contributions have also been included in order to survey the strengths and limitations of a
range of existing coastal zone management practises operating in different 'local' environmental and socio-economic contexts. The core message that is illuminated is that
the management challenges posed are complex and multifaceted, encompassing physical forcing, natural hazard and variability and vulnerability, together with socio-cultural vulnerability problems.
The editors, May 1999