The practice of coastal zone management in Portugal

The practice of coastal zone management in Portugal is very recent. Key issues and considerations about natural shoreline dynamics, main policy instruments, and lessons learned from the EU Demonstration Programmes on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Portugal will be outlined in this paper in an attempt to understand how the practice of ICZM and its prospects are. Coastal zone management problems and their associated side effects, as well as national and international evolution patterns will be drawn. Some means of achieving better coastal zone management practices and ways of addressing some of its forefront issues are also identified. Special attention will go to erosion problems. The pressure induced by urban development and economic activities on coastal areas is increasing. Poor sediment availability combined with years of neglected management and over-exploitation of resources have had a negative impact, and there are many areas showing evidence of coastal erosion. There is a need to improve policies and instruments of coastal planning and management. Coastal zone management plans are being developed for the nine sectors of the continental Portuguese coast, providing a full analysis of coastal systems and a delimitation of uses in relation to the carrying capacity of the shoreline.     

Ecological research for integrated coastal zone management: Introduction

Two Special Features on integrated coastal zone management, especially along the Mediterranean Sea, result from a MeDCOAST conference held in Hammamet (Tunisia). 20–25 October 2001. In this first Special Feature some papers are presented on ecological and biological research related to integrated coastal zone management. All over Europe coastal environments are threatened by human activities such as urbanization, industrial development, fisheries, aquaculture, recreation and tourism. Research has to be developed that can be applied to similar case studies in different countries. Methods of monitoring are necessary and baseline data have to be available in order to judge the significance of changes in the abjotic and biotic environment. Examples of studies included in this Special Feature are mainly from southern banks of the Mediterranean Sea but there is also an example from Estonia and one from the Canary Islands.     

Engineering-geological hazards and management in the Mountain Crimea coastal zone

The main engineering-geological hazards and their factors of the Mountain Crimea coastal region are considered. A characteristic shore line site of Cape Kikineiz and its neighboring coastal area near the Katsiveli settlement has been studied in more detail. The important characteristic of the site is a high diversity of geological conditions with numerous manifestations of dangerous engineering-geological processes: shore and hydrological network abrasion, loss of slopes and rocks stability, etc. These processes have intensified during the last decades under the influence of natural and man-induced factors. The results of preliminary study of geo-environmental situation of the area are presented. The program for further research and possible recommendations for rational coastal hazard management and area ecological state improvement are outlined.     

Integrated coastal zone management in Italy: a gap between science and policy

This paper introduces the need, in Italian countries, of a real integration of scientific knowledge into coastal policy. Actually, in Italy, still exists a gap between Science and Policy, interfering the implementation of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) process, while there is no coordination between local, regional and national authorities. This lack of an overall strategy has induced some regions to adopt regional plans for the sustainable development of their coastal areas, to compensate the shortcomings of a national planning. Besides, along Italian coasts, there is a heavy landscape urbanization producing conditions of environmental decay and highlighting the risk of erosions in littoral areas. In this critical context, it is necessary to adopt an effective Integrated Coastal Zone Management policy, to connect ecosystem and environmental approaches with the social and economic development of coastal areas. So, in Italian landscape, it is necessary to integrate the national cultural heritage into coastal management, joining scientific and cultural issues. In this framework, ICZM process could play an important role connecting scientists and policy makers towards an effective integration for the social and economic growth of local people.     

Towards an effective framework for coastal zone management: the Egyptian experience

Coastal areas are among the most highly populated, most exploited areas and vulnerable ecosystems in the world. How these interface areas between terrestrial and marine environments can effectively planned and managed has proved to be extremely challenging. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) has been promoted as a potential panacea for the effective planning and management of these areas. However achieving such goals for ICZM is complex because of the many human activities and diverse regulatory regimes in coastal areas requires effective integration along many dimensions. Within the context of the developing world, which is often characterised by highly centralised governance systems combined with a lack of effective public and stakeholder participation in planning delivering an effective ICZM, which is drawn from collaborative planning ideas has proved particularly problematic. Furthermore within these countries there have been few critical and analytical evaluations of why ICZM experiments have failed. This paper seeks to begin to address this gap by suggesting that Actor Network Theory (ANT) is an appropriate analytical framework to critically evaluate why ICZM initiatives in Egypt, at both the national and local level, have been relatively unsuccessful. The critical evaluation leads to some practical recommendations that could help to enhance the implementation of ICZM in Egypt.     

Coastal directories and beyond: Providing multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information for resource management

Baseline resource information in an easily accessible form is a vital starting point for developing coastal zone management. On behalf of a wide-ranging group of organizations involved in the management of the U.K. maritime zone, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is compiling a series of 16 regional volumes. The volumes contain multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information arranged in ten chapters under the general title ‘Coasts and Seas of the UK’. These volumes form part of a series of paper and electronic publications of coastal information being produced by JNCC's Coastal Directories Project and are designed to meet the needs of planners and all others involved in decision-making and management of the coast.     

Coastal directories and beyond: providing multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information for resource management

Baseline resource information in an easily accessible form is a vital starting point for developing coastal zone management. On behalf of a wide-ranging group of organizations involved in the management of the U.K. maritime zone, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is compiling a series of 16 regional volumes. The volumes contain multi-disciplinary coastal zone resource information arranged in ten chapters under the general title ‘Coasts and Seas of the UK’. These volumes form part of a series of paper and electronic publications of coastal information being produced by JNCC’s Coastal Directories Project and are designed to meet the needs of planners and all others involved in decision-making and management of the coast.     

Coastal zone management challenges in Ghana: issues associated with coastal sediment mining

Coastal erosion is a serious environmental problem that has caused the loss of private infrastructure and national assets along Ghana’s coast. Several hard engineering measures have thus been used to protect some communities and vital state assets when they became threatened. Regardless of this problem, sediment mining activities are increasingly practiced along most of Ghana’s coast, further exacerbating coastal erosion intensity and degrading coastal ecosystems. This paper provides an overview of the activities of coastal sediment miners along four administrative Districts in the Central Region of Ghana and identifies how issues arising from the practice are managed at the local community level as well as by state environmental regulators. The study uses a mixed-method approach, involving individual and group interviews, administration of a set of structured questionnaire and field observations, to identify coastal sediment mining and emerging management issues. Overall, three main categories of coastal sediment mining activities were identified in the area. Results indicate that coastal sediment mining is widely practiced by both commercial contractors and community members, giving rise to the high perception among residents that it is the reason for the degradation of the coastline in the studied areas. The study also established that state environmental regulators have weak inter-agency cooperation leading to poor enforcement of environmental laws and non-prosecution of offending individuals. The paper suggests that since each identified sediment mining activity has its own peculiar issues and mode of operation, coastal managers should address each category independently in order to derive lasting impacts in curtailing the practice.     

Soft intervention technology as a tool for integrated coastal zone management

After introducing soft defence techniques as an alternative to hard defence techniques, the need is emphasized to consider the coastal area as an integral system. By recalling the main driving factors for coastal management: conflict resolution, resilience and sustainability, we logically arrive at the concepts of ecological engineering and ecotechnology, which are increasingly acknowledged as possible solutions to achieve sustainable use of coastal space as a resource. In this context, we refer to the principles of self design and of ecosystem conservation. In order to deal with real situations we are in need of fundamental ‘tools’ for the application of the soft intervention technology approach. We therefore introduce the concept of physiographic units and develop an initial elaboration for a coastal stretch and for coastal wetlands. The latter deserve more attention because of the already established practices of ecotechnology, at least as far as water and soil quality are concerned, but certainly also concerning morphology, especially in the future. We conclude by briefly discussing how activities undertaken in two research projects currently being conducted under the framework of the Marine Science and Technology Program of the Commission of the European Communities are expected to contribute to the concepts introduced here.     

Participatory tools for coastal zone management: Use of stakeholder analysis and social mapping in Australia

This paper presents research currently being conducted in Central Queensland, Australia to understand conflicts between coastal zone resource users and the associated sociocultural and political issues surrounding coastal zone management. Conflict occurs between stakeholders in the coastal zone over values, conservation and development trade-offs, access, and resource use rights. Decisions are currently made within a multi-stakeholder framework where there is limited understanding among stakeholders of each groups values and aspirations, and few, mechanisms for negotiation, or to ensure transparency of decisions and feedback on consultation. This paper reports on the contribution of stakeholder analysis and social mapping to conflict management and findings from their application. As it is applied here, stakeholder analysis and social mapping have been successful participatory tools used to document and feed back the values, interests, attitudes and aspirations of stakeholders. Understanding stakeholder conflict is essential in progressing a whole catchment approach to decision-making that secures the cooperation of a diverse range of social groups.     

Developments in remote sensing, dynamic modelling and GIS applications for integrated coastal zone management

The International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC) has a research programme that should result in an integrated environmental coastal zone management system through three subprojects. The programme aims to develop methodologies and tools for assessing coastal zone changes, and for the evaluation of scenarios for coastal zone management, based on a spatio-temporal Geographical Information System (GIS) working platform which integrates remote sensing data, physical-morphodynamic and eco-hydrologic modelling, and a decision support system. The first subproject develops methodologies for the generation of optimum Remote Sensing (RS) data sets, leading to better interpretation and complementary use of conventional and new remote sensing imagery. It also integrates RS, GIS, and modelling through hypothesis generation, parameter estimation, evaluation and validation. The second subproject facilitates qualitative and quantitative analysis and prediction of the physical aspects of coastal landscape development under the influence of natural processes and human impacts. This subproject is based on the application of remote sensing and dynamic modelling. The third subproject leads to a spatio-temporal working platform which supports data integration of RS and in-situ measurements, and qualitative and quantitative analysis for the prediction of coastal landscape development. Both support decision making in Integrated Coastal Zone Management.     

Coastal zone management in wales: The information gaps

In 1994 the Countryside Council for Wales, the government nature conservation and countryside advisor in Wales, published a consultation document on marine and coastal policy, and also commissioned research into the status of coastal zone management (CZM) in the Principality. The research, undertaken by the University of Wales Cardiff, investigated CZM from an international, national (U.K.) and Welsh perspective, concentrating on detailed case studies of three areas (including both urban and rural coasts). Policy makers, managers, practitioners and users from all sectors were included in the study which established current activity, identified problems and reviewe future plans. Interviews and questionnaire returns highlighted vital information gaps at all levels. These ranged fom a lack of basic data (including scientific and technical), to a breakdown in communication both within and between organisations, as well as a policy vacuum in both regional and central government.     

Coastal zone management in Wales: The information gaps

In 1994 the Countryside Council for Wales, the government nature conservation and countryside advisor in Wales, published a consultation document on marine and coastal policy, and also commissioned research into the status of coastal zone management (CZM) in the Principality. The research, undertaken by the University of Wales Cardiff, investigated CZM from an international, national (U.K.) and Welsh perspective, concentrating on detailed case studies of three areas (including both urban and rural coasts). Policy makers, managers, practitioners and users from all sectors were included in the study which established current activity, identified problems and reviewe future plans. Interviews and questionnaire returns highlighted vital information gaps at all levels. These ranged fom a lack of basic data (including scientific and technical), to a breakdown in communication both within and between organisations, as well as a policy vacuum in both regional and central government.     

Portuguese coastal zones and the new coastal management plans

Coastal zones in Portugal, as interface areas between land and sea, have problems related to the growing human pressure in terms of changes in land use associated with urban and industrial occupation, new accessibility (ports, motorways) and traffic flows, intensification of recreational use (beaches, water sports) and excessive fishing. Impacts include deterioration of water quality and sediments; alteration and degradation of natural habitats; new hydrodynamic situations; major landscape changes: and rapid changes in habits and way of life of the local populations and increased exposure of populations and assets to natural and induced risks (storms, accidents, spills, explosions). Plans for the Management of the Coastal Zone (POOC) have been developed and seven of them have been approved, while two similar plans are at a final stage of preparation. Together they cover the entire coast of Portugal. Their implementation and assessment could be a first step towards an integrated management of the Portuguese coastal zones. River Basin Management Plans (PBH) have been concluded and recently approved for the whole country. However, these plans do not consider estuarine systems and some other issues related to coastal systems. The National Water Plan (PNA) is under public presentation and discussion. Several ‘key messages’ are presented in this paper as a contribution for assessment of the proposals of this plan on issues related with coastal waters.     

湖滨带的功能及其管理

湖滨带是水陆生态交错带的一种类型，具有重要的生态、社会和经济价值。湖滨带功能主要包括：缓冲带功能、生物多样性及生境保护功能、护岸功能和经济美学价值。湖滨带退化的原因主要是人为因素引起的生物群落结构的逆向演替及生态功能的下降，退化湖滨带生态恢复与重建的理论基础是恢复生态学。湖滨带管理的核心是湖滨带植被的正确管理，管理的目标是保护与湖滨带密切相关的各种资源和水生态系统，其管理措施主要包括：(1)建立植被缓冲带；(2)加强湖滨带规划和管理的政策研究；(3)加强湖滨带生态监测系统及生态评价指标体系的建设；(4)促进湖滨带管理的公众参与。