Biological indicators in the Caribbean coastal zone and their role in integrated coastal management

Caribbean coastal ecosystems are increasingly being threatened by natural and anthropogenic factors. The scale of these factors is at local, national, regional and global levels. Threats include the effects of fisheries and extraction, eutrophication, siltation, and pollution as well as global climate events such as El Niño and global climate change. Integrated coastal management (ICM) should clearly demonstrate the adverse effects of environmental impacts, thus justifying the need for mitigation and should evaluate the success of management efforts. ICM requires robust indicators that gauge the ‘health’ of the coast in relation to environmental, social and economic activities. Biological indicators (bioindicators) offer a signal of the biological condition in an ecosystem. Using bioindicators as an early warning of pollution or degradation in an ecosystem can help sustain critical resources. Biological indicators in the Caribbean are focused around particular ecosystems, especially coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests and include a range of biological parameters relating to particular species, groups of species and biological processes. The use of these indicators is critically reviewed and the presence or absence of a relevant framework for their use in Caribbean ICM programs is discussed.     

Lessons learned from ‘decentralized’ ICM: an analysis of Canada's Atlantic Coastal Action Program and China's Xiamen ICM Program

Integrated coastal management (ICM) is a management process used by stakeholders in decision making to determine how coastal areas will be used and what activities can take place in them. While many ICM Programs are national government initiatives, some ICM Programs are ‘decentralized’, managed by community groups or local governments. This paper describes the Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP), an ICM Program in Atlantic Canada, and the Xiamen ICM Program, in Xiamen, China, and discusses their major differences. The most important difference between the two ICM Programs is that ACAP is a community-based program that uses a multi-stakeholder approach and consensus decision making, while the Xiamen ICM Program is managed by a coordinating office within a local government. After comparing the two programs, some general lessons learned about decentralized ICM from these case studies are noted. It is concluded that the appropriate use of either model for ICM depends on the cultural, economic and political environment of the program. However, stakeholder involvement, scientific consultation and the use of a detailed management plan are important components of any decentralized ICM program.     

Experiences of coastal management in the Pacific Islands

Integrated coastal management (ICM) is accepted world-wide as a comprehensive, multi-sectoral integrated approach to the planning and management of coastal areas. ICM is particularly suited to the island member countries of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) because of their size, the interconnectedness of the coast and terrestrial areas and the high degree of association and community involvement with the management of coastal systems. With the exception of the highly migratory pelagic fish stocks, the narrow natural resource base of many Pacific islands make them particularly vulnerable to inappropriate development and mismanagement. Fortunately, the governments of many Pacific Island countries (PIC) have become aware of the benefits of integrated coastal management and are looking at ways of making it an established practice. This paper uses the framework of ICM to illustrate some of the author's experience of coastal management within the South Pacific region. Within the ICM framework, a range of tools and techniques are available to manage coastal problems. The success of any approach depends on the scale and magnitude of the problems to be addressed and the availability of information, institutional support and commitment from all stakeholders. The way in which programmes are conducted and implemented is particularly important. Top down initiatives may work at the regional level but tend to fail at the national and community level unless there are other incentives to support them. On the other hand, bottom up, process driven initiatives have enjoyed more success at the community level. Demand-based approaches have tended to be very successful at all levels, whether they be at the community, country or regional levels, particularly where all of the interested parties can collaborate and contribute to finding solutions to their problems.     

Frameworks and indicators for assessing progress in integrated coastal management initiatives

The fundamental purpose of all integrated coastal management (ICM) initiatives is to maintain, restore or improve specified qualities of coastal ecosystems and their associated human societies. A defining feature of ICM is that it addresses needs for both development and conservation in geographically specific places—be they a single community, an estuary or the coast of an entire nation. The times required to achieve these fundamental goals at significant spatial scales far exceed those of the usual 4–6-year project, the dominant ICM modality in developing nations. This paper offers two simple, but elastic frameworks for assessing progress over the extended time periods involved. The first is the four Orders of Outcomes that group together the sequences of institutional, behavioral and social/environmental changes that can lead to more sustainable forms of coastal development. The second framework is a version of the more familiar ICM policy cycle. These conceptually simple frameworks are making it possible to unbundle and organize into consistent formats the usually implicit assumptions that underpin project and program designs and then group activities and outcomes along a critical path that leads—or is presumed to lead—to the desired outcomes. Each step in the ICM policy cycle and each Order of Outcomes suggest the indicators by which progress and learning can be assessed. The application of these frameworks to a diversity of ICM initiatives is proving useful in assessing progress across portfolios of ICM initiatives, extracting good practices and teasing out how different governance contexts effect the forces that shape the evolution of ICM initiatives.     

Patterns of species composition of beach seine fisheries off North-Western coast of Sri Lanka,fishers’ perceptions and implications for co-management

As in many developing countries, small-scale fisheries including beach seining contribute significantly livelihoods and food security of coastal communities. Beach seining in Sri Lanka is seasonal mainly during calm season deprived of strong monsoonal winds, and essentially a multi-species fishery. Knowledge about the seasonal occurrence of pelagic species is important to be known for proper planning of the fishing activity, especially due to the reason that beach seine fishers in many parts of Sri Lanka make decisions to attach the cod-end of correct type depending on the target species. The possibility of identifying pattern of seasonal occurrence of target fish species in beach seine fishing sites off the southern region of north-western coast of Sri Lanka was therefore investigated using Self Organizing Maps (SOM). The analysis indicated that beach seine fishers’ local knowledge to predict the occurrence of certain species in the fishing sites to adjust their fishing strategies to target desirable species was consistent with the findings of SOM approach. Consequently, it was concluded that as beach seine fishers use indirect indicators such as colour of sea water and behaviour sea birds predict the species occurrence fairly accurately, their local knowledge can be incorporated in the management planning of beach seine fisheries in the North Western coastal area of Sri Lanka.     

A coastal management program for channels located in backbarrier systems

Management of the interactions between social/economic interests and the coastal environment requires practical, interdisciplinary assessment techniques. Backbarrier systems are critical natural resources that provide both economic and social benefits. Activities such as aquaculture, fishing, shipping and port activities, sediment mining, salt extraction, and tourism all take place in these ecosystems but are often not compatible with each other. Therefore, a program to manage such a system must congregate many different types of activities and stakeholders with potentially conflicting interests. In this paper, we develop a proposed coastal management program (CMP), based on the driving-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework and the integrated coastal management (ICM) cycle, for the management of channels located in backbarrier systems subject to dredging operations. The conceptual model involves the application of regional sediment management (RSM) actions and is applied to a case study, Faro Channel, located in the Ria Formosa backbarrier system in Algarve, Portugal. The CMP provides results on the interactivity between scientists, stakeholders, and decision-makers, by defining and clarifying the economic and environmental aspects of decision-making processes through the utilisation and measurement of local coastal indicators. The proposed CMP proved to be a useful tool in the definition of coastal management initiatives for channels inside backbarrier systems, since it identified management problems and allowed management solutions to be formulated. The CMP could be used within a broader ICM program but would also be effective when used on its own.     

A method for the participatory design of an indicator system as a tool for local coastal management

This paper proposes a method for the participatory design of an indicator system as a tool for coastal management at village level. The method includes three phases: (1) a participatory process where stakeholders have the opportunity to decide the orientation of the indicator system and to define indicators, (2) the design of a hierarchical indicator structure based on the derivation of principles and criteria from stakeholder priorities and (3) a filtering process for the selection of stakeholder-defined indicators that can reflect the viability and performance of the coastal region. A case study in the Bragança coastal region of northern Brazil is presented to illustrate the method's applicability. The resultant hierarchical indicator system design includes four principles, 11 criteria and 35 indicators linked to the environmental, social, governance and economic dimensions. The indicator system can be used as a tool for measuring changes and to influence local ICM policies.     

The way forward with ecosystem-based management in tropical contexts: Reconciling with existing management systems

This paper discusses some of the challenges and opportunities that can arise when implementing ecosystem-based management (EBM) in tropical nations. EBM creates a new series of challenges, problems, and opportunities that must be considered in light of existing governance and management frameworks in a local context. The paper presents five case studies from different parts of the tropical world, including Oceania, insular and continental Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean, which illustrate that the implementation of EBM in watershed and marine ecosystems offers a new series of challenges and opportunities for its inclusion with existing forms of environmental governance and management. The paper suggests that EBM is best thought of as an expansion of customary management (CM) and integrated coastal management (ICM), rather than a paradigm shift, and that it has certain benefits that are worth integrating into existing systems when possible. The paper concludes that the cultural and institutional context of CM as well as the experience, technical skills, and legal basis that serve ICM programs are logical platforms from which to build EBM programs. Some guidelines for creating hybrid management regimes are suggested. In sum, declining marine species and ecosystems require urgent action, necessitating utilization of existing paradigms such as ICM and CM as a foundation for building EBM.     

How supportive are existing national legal regimes for multi-use marine spatial planning?—The South African case

Over the past six years international interest in multi-use marine spatial planning (MSP), as a practical process to launch integrated coastal management (ICM), exploded. This paper explores the extent to which existing national legal frameworks can support this process, focusing on the coastal marine environment. First the characteristics of an appropriate legal regime for multi-use MSP are explored by interrogating secondary data sourced from literature reviews and case studies. Key paradigms are distilled as a means of dissecting this complex process into a suite of characteristic determinants that disclose the underpinning environmental management approaches or principles. These criteria are then used to assess the compatibility of national legal regimes for multi-use MSP—in this instance the South African legal framework. Although multi-use MSP has not been explicitly adopted as a process within South Africa's broader ICM implementation, existing legislation does reveal support. The department responsible for the environment is viewed as the most appropriate agency to house the statutory mechanism for multi-use MSP at national and provincial levels, but delegating local multi-use MSP processes to local government agencies. The political will to deploy and dedicate duties and resources to effective implementation of multi-use MSP, however, remains critical. Finally, the approach adopted here is proposed as a means to assess the compatibility of other national legal regimes for multi-use MSP, although the suite of characteristic determinants may need to be reviewed from time to time, as new learning emerges from practice.     

厦门第二轮海岸带综合管理战略行动计划研究

海岸带综合管理被广泛认为是实现海岸带社会经济与生态环境可持续发展的重要途径之一.本文运用海岸带综合管理（ICM）的相关理论,结合厦门海岸带管理面临的实际问题, 在对厦门第一轮ICM执行情况进行充分回顾、评估的基础上,对厦门第二轮ICM面临的主要问题、涉及的优先领域及主要目标进行了分析研究;并在此基础上形成了厦门第二轮海岸带综合管理的战略行动计划.     

Coastal and marine ecosystem services valuation for policy and management: Managed realignment case studies in England

The recognition of the economic value of nature and the services it provides to humanity has become increasingly essential in the context of coastal zone management. In this paper we review the progress to date on both the necessary conceptual framework and empirical valuation studies required to bolster decision support systems (DSS) targeted at integrated coastal zone management goals. We highlight the importance of using an ecosystem services approach and recommend some basic sequential, although overlapping, analytical steps for appropriate environmental valuation and policy assessment: spatial explicitness; marginal changes; double counting; non-linearities; and threshold effects. We illustrate the practical use of the DSS by reviewing an existing UK case study on managed coastal realignment along the Eastern coast of England, and a new UK case study on managed realignment implemented in a southern area on the same coast. Comparing the two studies, the importance of spatial explicitness and the need for a sequential decision support system when dealing with ecosystem services valuation and project policy appraisal become particularly evident.     

Promoting cross-cultural exchanges in ICM and fisheries: The Consortium for Transatlantic Cooperation in Marine Policy and Coastal Management Education

Since 1997, institutions on both sides of the Atlantic have been building linkages under a joint US/European effort aimed at the next generation of marine policy and ocean management professionals. The Consortium for Transatlantic Cooperation in Marine Policy and Coastal Management Education is facilitating the exchange of knowledge between the United States and Europe regarding integrated coastal management (ICM) and regional fisheries management by creating course modules and case studies, conducting short intensive cross-cultural courses, offering transatlantic internship and academic exchange opportunities, and implementing distance learning technologies. The Consortium includes three European and three US universities, plus five partners from government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. The Consortium's ultimate goal is to foster cross-cultural understanding of ICM as it is implemented in response to international mandates such as Agenda 21, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Global Programme of Action on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. This article describes the workings of the Consortium over the past two years.     

The role of coastal setbacks in the context of coastal erosion and climate change

Coastal erosion and storms represent a source of risk for settlements and infrastructure along the coast. At the same time, coastal natural assets, including landscape, are threatened by increasing development mainly driven by tourism. The Mediterranean coast is especially vulnerable to these processes, considering its high biological and cultural diversity. An additional challenge is represented by climate change, as it will force coastal communities to apply more or less drastic adaptation strategies. Coastal setbacks, used to protect coastal communities and infrastructure from storms and erosion, and to preserve coastal habitats and landscapes from degradation, is one of the main instruments suggested by the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management of the Barcelona Convention, entered into force on the 24 of March 2011. Its implementation has the potential to influence coastal policies in other regions, such as the neighbouring Black Sea.The CONSCIENCE project has formalized concepts and conducted specific studies to provide new tools for coastal erosion management practice. The objective of this paper is to present a synthesis of the research conducted into coastal setbacks for coastal erosion management and climate change adaptation. This is done by analysing the requirement of the Protocol, current processes and management practices in two case study areas (Costa Brava Bays in Spain and Danube Delta, in Romania) and the new challenges posed by climate change.     

Pathways of integrated coastal management from national policy to local implementation: Enabling climate change adaptation

Integrated coastal management (ICM) has been developing concomitantly with the realisation of the severity of the potential impacts of climate change. The discourse on climate change and adaptation has also included the awareness that adaptation must take place at all levels of government, particularly local government. Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on the physical, social, environmental and economic environments of coastal cities and towns, and in particular on the poor and vulnerable communities within these cities and towns. The crucial role that local government can play in climate protection and building cities' and communities' resilience to climate change is widely recognised at the global level. This paper explores the legal and policy connexion between ICM, local government and climate change in Mozambique and South Africa, two developing countries in Africa. The state of institutionalisation of coastal management at national through to local government is also examined. The authors contend that the state, character and maturity of the ICM policy domain can create an enabling environment within which local government agencies can prepare for future impacts of climate change. Conversely it can also limit, delay and hinder climate change adaptation. The paper concludes with the identification of some key success factors for assessing the effectiveness of the existing policy and legal frameworks to respond to the challenges of climate change. It also identifies some key principles to be included in future legislative reform to promote ICM, cooperative governance and greater preparedness for climate change at local government level.     

1984～2012年海州湾海岸线时空演变研究

以Landsat影像为数据源, 通过改进归一化水体指数、二值化、潮位校正模型提取海岸线, 使用数字海岸线分析系统(Digital Shoreline Analysis System, DSAS), 对1984～2012年海州湾海岸线的时空演变进行了研究。结果表明, 1984～2012年间海州湾海岸线整体以4.29 m/a向海洋推进, 其中, 48%的海岸出现侵蚀, 侵蚀速率为22.83 m/a, 侵蚀现象主要出现在大堤修建前的部分粉砂淤泥质海岸。52%的海岸出现淤积, 淤积速率为25.90 m/a, 淤积现象主要出现在人工海岸、河口海岸和受大堤影响的粉砂淤泥质海岸。海岸线时空演变研究有利于科学地规划、开发和管理海洋及其沿岸空间资源, 并保证其环境及经济的可持续发展。     

辽东湾两侧砂质海岸侵蚀灾害与防治

自20世纪60年代至90年代，由于多种原因，辽东湾东西两侧的初始沙质海岸侵蚀范围逐年扩大，侵蚀不断加剧，给当人民的生产和生活带来严重危害。由多年监测资料发现，侵蚀严重的熊岳岸线以2～4m／a的速率而大幅度后退，特别严重的地区最大后退达10km；辽西绥中某些岸段平均每年后退1～2m。20世纪90年代后期，由于一些海域管理措施的出台和相应的海岸防护工程的建设，海岸侵蚀逐渐减弱。通过现场调查和多年监测，分析了辽东湾东西两侧砂质海岸侵蚀的特点，认为海岸组成物质松散与海岸动力作用强烈是本区现代海岸侵蚀的基本条件，人为活动是关键因素，并提出了海岸侵蚀灾害的防治对策。     

Vulnerability and adaptation of coastal communities to climate variability and sea-level rise: Their implications for integrated coastal management in Cavite City,Philippines

Coastal areas are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. These impacts will exacerbate the risks posed by the continuing environmental degradation confronting the coastal communities.Adopting a participatory research approach, the study examines the vulnerability of socioeconomic groups among the coastal population in Cavite City, Philippines, their current adaptation strategies and their adaptive capacity to cope with the impacts of climate variability and extremes and sea-level rise. Under a future scenario of a 1-m accelerated sea-level rise (ASLR), the study also looks into its potential effects on these urban coastal communities and ecosystems.In the context of poverty reduction and sustainable development, this study suggests a local framework for integrating adaptation strategies and actions into integrated coastal management (ICM) planning. It also recommends appropriate policy and institutional reform, capacity building and improved knowledge management towards increasing the resilience and adaptive capacity of these coastal communities to current and future climate risks.     

Building capacity for integrated coastal management in developing countries

The need for building human and institutional capacity has been identified in Agenda 21 of the UNCED conference as well as by a number of international environmental institutions as essential for integrated coastal management (ICM) and sustainable development in developing coastal states. There is a growing need for coastal management practitioners and organizations with expertise in planning and implementation for ICM. The application of strategies for institutional development and building human capacity in coastal management and other fields shows that short-term intensive training efforts and long-term institutional strengthening programs are appropriate to address the issues and needs of ICM. An overview of the experience of the URI/USAID International Coastal Resources Management Program in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Ecuador presents lessons learned for strengthening ICM efforts in developing countries.     

A study into the export of saline water from Hervey Bay, Australia

Australia's climate is one of the world's driest and locally characterised by high year-to-year rainfall variability. Due to high evaporation and low river runoff many estuaries and embayments in the region are characterised by inverse conditions with salinity increasing toward the coast and river mouths. Such conditions were also found during the first comprehensive hydrographic survey of Hervey Bay located at the east coast of Australia in early spring 2004. The survey traced a subsurface salinity maximum that was found in earlier studies within the East Australia Current, east of Hervey Bay to the shallow southwest regions of the bay. These are identified as the most likely source region for locally produced saline Hervey Bay Water. Utilising a simple box model, mean evaporation rates and historical river runoff data, it is demonstrated that inverse conditions are likely to dominate throughout the year. The negative circulation is a climatological feature of this estuary that is not limited to the dry season of the year. Due to persistent drought and declining rainfall in coastal eastern Australia, these conditions are likely to persist into the near future and need to be considered in coastal management strategies.