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J.J. Pascual-Fernández and R. Chuenpagdee
obstinate facts. Climate change is a good example of this global challenge, with
major technological or political efforts providing meager results.
Maintaining marine ecosystem health and its functions is a governability issue
that requires the involvement and commitment from actors across the board and at
all levels of governance. Most programs and initiatives related to ecosystem health
have both local and global dimensions. Marine protected areas (MPAs), for
instance, are one of the most popular ecosystem management tools promoted
around the world, but they are also a classic example of a wicked problem that
needs to be examined through the governability lens. Because MPA proposals
involve large areas, achieving agreements on what needs to be done, as well as on
who and how to do them, raises signi fi cant challenges. Globally, nations struggle
to meet the various targets set and adopted to increase the level and extent of marine
protection, including the latest recommendation at the 2003 World Parks Congress
to establish networks of MPAs (including strictly protected areas) covering at least
20–30% of each habitat by 2012.
3 Debates are ongoing about how the targets were
set, whether they are realistic and whether these MPAs would indeed contribute to
improving ecosystem health. At the local level, MPAs are often ridden with
con fl icts among user groups with incompatible practices and competing interests,
making their creation problematic (Jentoft et al. 2011 ) . Without local support,
MPAs are unlikely to be successful or sustained. Considering all the challenges
described above, serious consideration about our governing capacity and the
understanding of the characteristics and qualities of the ecosystems that need to be
governed is essential.
Following a governability perspective, we characterize challenges affecting
fi sheries and coastal ecosystem health in terms of the system-to-be-governed, the
governing-system and the government interactions, taking into account their
diversity, complexity, dynamics and scale/vulnerability (Table 7.1 ). The detailed
analysis of these challenges is presented around three relevant global issues
related to ecosystem health: coastal zones; fi sheries and aquaculture; and climate
change.
Coastal Zones: Diversity, Complexity
and Dynamics on the Rise
Coastal Transformations
Coastal zones constitute a key element in many ecosystems. They are crucial for the
growth, reproduction and vitality of many species, including humans. These areas
play essential roles in the development and evolution of societies and cultures across
3 WPC Recommendation 5.22, see http://www.internationalwildlifelaw.org/MPARecs.pdf
J.J. Pascual-Fernández and R. Chuenpagdee
obstinate facts. Climate change is a good example of this global challenge, with
major technological or political efforts providing meager results.
Maintaining marine ecosystem health and its functions is a governability issue
that requires the involvement and commitment from actors across the board and at
all levels of governance. Most programs and initiatives related to ecosystem health
have both local and global dimensions. Marine protected areas (MPAs), for
instance, are one of the most popular ecosystem management tools promoted
around the world, but they are also a classic example of a wicked problem that
needs to be examined through the governability lens. Because MPA proposals
involve large areas, achieving agreements on what needs to be done, as well as on
who and how to do them, raises signi fi cant challenges. Globally, nations struggle
to meet the various targets set and adopted to increase the level and extent of marine
protection, including the latest recommendation at the 2003 World Parks Congress
to establish networks of MPAs (including strictly protected areas) covering at least
20–30% of each habitat by 2012.
3 Debates are ongoing about how the targets were
set, whether they are realistic and whether these MPAs would indeed contribute to
improving ecosystem health. At the local level, MPAs are often ridden with
con fl icts among user groups with incompatible practices and competing interests,
making their creation problematic (Jentoft et al. 2011 ) . Without local support,
MPAs are unlikely to be successful or sustained. Considering all the challenges
described above, serious consideration about our governing capacity and the
understanding of the characteristics and qualities of the ecosystems that need to be
governed is essential.
Following a governability perspective, we characterize challenges affecting
fi sheries and coastal ecosystem health in terms of the system-to-be-governed, the
governing-system and the government interactions, taking into account their
diversity, complexity, dynamics and scale/vulnerability (Table 7.1 ). The detailed
analysis of these challenges is presented around three relevant global issues
related to ecosystem health: coastal zones; fi sheries and aquaculture; and climate
change.
Coastal Zones: Diversity, Complexity
and Dynamics on the Rise
Coastal Transformations
Coastal zones constitute a key element in many ecosystems. They are crucial for the
growth, reproduction and vitality of many species, including humans. These areas
play essential roles in the development and evolution of societies and cultures across
3 WPC Recommendation 5.22, see http://www.internationalwildlifelaw.org/MPARecs.pdf