44
P.R. Burbridge
tinue to generate economic and environmental goods and services that sustain human
economic and social needs and which can support new forms of development, namely:
1. Raising awareness among policy makers, planners, resources managers and coastal
peoples of the value of coastal ecosystems and the need to seek the optimisation of
uses rather than maximisation of the returns from exclusive uses of selected resources generated by coastal ecosystems;
2. Responding to changing economic and social perspectives within coastal communities without damaging the welfare of the international community;
3. Developing a cascade of international, national, regional and local sustainable development strategies, policies, plans and management strategies which respond to
the needs and aspirations of coastal peoples while ensuring that development does
not degrade the functional integrity of coastal ecosystems.
2.4
Means of Meeting the Challenge
When considering what means we have to address these issues it is important to consider two broad themes, namely:
1. Socio-cultural stability where people will continue to depend upon the sustained flows
of economic and environmental goods and services provided by coastal ecosystems, and
2. The ability of the mosaic of interdependent coastal ecosystems to sustain creation
of environmental and economic goods and services given the impact of human demands for resources.
Both of these themes need to be given greater attention in the formulation and implementation of coastal management strategies. One means of addressing these two
themes is to develop improved means of valuing coastal ecosystems and the resources
derived from them. This, combined with a basic understanding of the linkages between
human activities and ecosystem functions, provides a basis for developing multiple use
management of the ecosystem as a means of optimising the economic, social and environmental benefits derived from coastal systems.
2.4'.1
Valuing Coastal Ecosystems and their Role in Sustaining Human Activities
Considerable effort has been given to the inventory and uses of selected resources derived from coastal ecosystems. For example, Hamilton and Snedaker (1984) list some
70 direct uses of tangible mangrove products such as fish trap poles. Many of the tangible products have economic values which can be calculated using local market prices.
However, many of the less tangible goods, such as medicinal plants collected from a
mangrove are not exchanged using traditional markets. These goods and most environmental services, such as flood attenuation by wetlands, are seldom represented in
economic calculations associated with the evaluation of alternative forms of development. Text Box 2.2 looks at some of the approaches to placing a value on non-marketed
values of environmental goods and services.
P.R. Burbridge
tinue to generate economic and environmental goods and services that sustain human
economic and social needs and which can support new forms of development, namely:
1. Raising awareness among policy makers, planners, resources managers and coastal
peoples of the value of coastal ecosystems and the need to seek the optimisation of
uses rather than maximisation of the returns from exclusive uses of selected resources generated by coastal ecosystems;
2. Responding to changing economic and social perspectives within coastal communities without damaging the welfare of the international community;
3. Developing a cascade of international, national, regional and local sustainable development strategies, policies, plans and management strategies which respond to
the needs and aspirations of coastal peoples while ensuring that development does
not degrade the functional integrity of coastal ecosystems.
2.4
Means of Meeting the Challenge
When considering what means we have to address these issues it is important to consider two broad themes, namely:
1. Socio-cultural stability where people will continue to depend upon the sustained flows
of economic and environmental goods and services provided by coastal ecosystems, and
2. The ability of the mosaic of interdependent coastal ecosystems to sustain creation
of environmental and economic goods and services given the impact of human demands for resources.
Both of these themes need to be given greater attention in the formulation and implementation of coastal management strategies. One means of addressing these two
themes is to develop improved means of valuing coastal ecosystems and the resources
derived from them. This, combined with a basic understanding of the linkages between
human activities and ecosystem functions, provides a basis for developing multiple use
management of the ecosystem as a means of optimising the economic, social and environmental benefits derived from coastal systems.
2.4'.1
Valuing Coastal Ecosystems and their Role in Sustaining Human Activities
Considerable effort has been given to the inventory and uses of selected resources derived from coastal ecosystems. For example, Hamilton and Snedaker (1984) list some
70 direct uses of tangible mangrove products such as fish trap poles. Many of the tangible products have economic values which can be calculated using local market prices.
However, many of the less tangible goods, such as medicinal plants collected from a
mangrove are not exchanged using traditional markets. These goods and most environmental services, such as flood attenuation by wetlands, are seldom represented in
economic calculations associated with the evaluation of alternative forms of development. Text Box 2.2 looks at some of the approaches to placing a value on non-marketed
values of environmental goods and services.