Education and training for integrated coastal zone management in Europe

This paper provides an overview of the current situation of education and training for ICZM in Europe. This overview results from the analysis of the general characteristics, contents and orientation of a significant number of courses from a representative set of countries and international organizations in Europe. This type of comparatively systematic information provides a framework within which education and training efforts can be meaningfully evaluated from a regional perspective. Based on the survey conclusions, the paper reflects on the level of interconnection between the way in which ICZM is currently taught in Europe and the capacity needs arising from the scenario in which it takes place. In view of such scenario, and in order to advance ICZM practice in Europe, some broad recommendations to enhance education and training efforts are finally provided.     

Practitioner training for building capacity in ICZM

Capacity building has been a much promoted principle of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) since its advent beginning in the 1970’s. Although the concept of capacity building includes human resource development, organizational development and institutional and legal framework development, in practice it has often become focussed on the transfer of technical knowledge and procedures to managers and decision makers. The effect of this is often to emphasise and promote sectoral approaches rather than a holistic one as advocated by ICZM. Experiences gained during the EU Intereg IIIB COREPOINT project led to the development of a training programme that progressively reduced its formal lecture-style content and increased opportunity for discussion and delegate participation. It also produced a more uniform and systematic style and structure to presentations, in particular the case studies illustrating the eight EU ICZM principles of best practice, and embedded the ICZM principles and European perspectives of coastal management within the context of the work environment.This paper reviews methods for practitioner-oriented capacity building, and details the evolution of a training course to sensitise and familiarise coastal practitioners with the principles and practices of ICZM, working from local to national to trans-national scales. The lessons learnt from the ICZM capacity development in COREPOINT are identified and it is suggested that these are relevant and applicable to many other ICZM initiatives.     

Coastal governance in North West Europe: An assessment of approaches to the European stocktake

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) necessitates not only an understanding of the coastal environments to be managed but also an understanding of the nature of the governance systems in place. The latter not only vary between individual European Member States but also within States. This paper explores the governance systems in operation and focuses on the approaches taken in completing the ICZM stocktakes and strategies in North West Europe, as required by the European ICZM Recommendation. The paper not only synthesises existing European documentation, but also incorporates some of the key experiences of ICZM from the COREPOINT project and its partners. The paper findings suggest that effective inter-organisational linkages and coordinated efforts are required to deliver ICZM and the European ICZM Recommendation's principles of good governance. However, such aspects are largely non-existent in North West Europe.     

Interest of quality-based policies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management implementation: Lessons learnt from a French case study

This article shows how quality-based policies can support the effective implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management. It is based upon the analysis of the trial that is currently being conducted by the Marennes Oléron District on the Atlantic coast of France through the implementation of the Oléron Coastal Quality Action Plan. The author emphasizes three main aspects. At first, she exposes the general process that supported the emergence of the ICZM project of this district, highlighting the major role of early public participation, territorial planning and the design of operational action plans. She demonstrates that the implementation of coastal quality action plans can follow the integration building process of the ICZM iterative cycle, and thus support ICZM implementation. Then, she highlights the major role of science/management integration in the implementation of quality-based policies, showing in which way scientists can provide useful knowledge to practitioners at various stages of the decision-making process and contribute both to the development of public participation and success of these policies. At last, the author presents and discusses the lessons learnt from the follow up and analysis of the implementation of this action plan. She emphasizes its strengths and weaknesses by putting it into the perspective of other French ICZM projects, and shows in which way the resolution of the problems faced by stakeholders in it realization contributes to the strengthening of their management capacity. The main benefits of this process for a quality-based policy are outlined.     

A contribution to the implementation of ICZM in the Mediterranean developing countries

The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) principles in the Mediterranean developing countries at the moment of signing the protocol on ICZM for the Mediterranean, in the framework of the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan of the Barcelona Convention. This assessment is based on the results of two advanced seminars on ICZM promoted by the Azahar programme of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for the Development (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation). The contribution of the participants of the seminar, who are representatives of national agencies related with ICZM in different Mediterranean countries, have been collected through a questionnaire including: (i) a ranking of the main coastal sectors and the main coastal issues of each country; (ii) significant initiatives for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean coastal zones; and (iii) the evaluation of the ICZM progress. The state of the coast, the level of implementation of ICZM and the main problems faced to apply it, have been detected for each country. None of the consulted countries have a full implemented integrated coastal zone management, the major problems being: (i) the lack of financial commitment for the implementation of ICZM; (ii) the lack of an assessment and monitoring system; (iii) the lack of knowledge regarding the coastal system; (iv) the lack of qualified human resources; and (v) the lack of public participation and administrative integration strategies based on information. From these conclusions, some recommendations to improve ICZM are also provided. The work presented in this paper is the starting point to assess the evolution and the reference from which ICZM will be improved through the protocol on ICZM for the Mediterranean.     

An evaluation of the implementation of the European ICZM principles

The European principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) are often viewed as central, defining features of the EC approach to ICZM, enshrined within the EC Recommendation (2002/413/EC) and endorsed by the European Commission in its Communication on ICZM (COM(2007) 308 final). This paper presents the findings of COREPOINT surveys which evaluated the extent to which the ICZM principles are addressed and interpreted across the North West European region. An interpretation of these findings is undertaken in order to provide an assessment of local ICZM development against the European ICZM Progress Indicator. The surveys revealed rather mixed adherence to with the EC ICZM principles at national, regional and local levels, although there were some promising results related to the principles of local specificity and stakeholder engagement. The principles providing the greatest challenge were those promoting the broad holistic approach, the long-term approach and adaptive management. The surveys demonstrated the value of using a structured, clearly designed ‘expert’ survey for providing an insight into operational aspects of the ICZM principles and provided a means of assessing ICZM progress. As such, this paper provides a useful contribution to the ongoing European and wider debate about the principles and their evaluation.     

A World Bank framework for ICZM with special emphasis on Africa

This paper describes the World Bank's emerging program in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), with a focus on Africa. The major elements and direction of this program are summarized, drawing especially on examples from Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean, where the Bank's program in ICZM was initiated and where significant opportunities exist to influence the course of development in coastal areas still not transformed by major growth. The challenges ahead in establishing a viable framework for ICZM in Africa are then discussed. The paper concludes with suggestions as to how the Bank and partners in the region can best focus their efforts in the future to meet these challenges.     

The potential role of Sustainability Science in coastal zone management

Sustainability Science invokes a co-produced approach to research between researchers and managers, involving a shared participatory, policy-centred process. The COREPOINT project which was developed with the principles of Sustainability Science in mind, provides evidence of the effectiveness and challenges involved in the knowledge transfer process between research centres and local government officials involved in coastal research and management. The Expert Couplet Nodes (ECN) embedded within the project aimed to ensure that a paradigm shift in attitude and behaviour towards traditional science and management practices took place. A comparison of the ECN process in two study sites in Ireland provided an opportunity to review the process and outcomes of the collaborative enquiry arrangements by referring to a suite of Sustainability Science principles developed during the project. In doing so, this paper demonstrates how the ECN approach built capacity for improved coastal management and how Sustainability Science has a key role to play in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). However, weaknesses in the ECN approach also showed that greater innovation from the ICZM community of researchers, policy makers and practitioners is of critical importance to the roll out of Sustainability Science as a societal solution in the transition towards sustainability. This requires capacity building to deal with the complexity of coastal socio-ecological systems.     

Implementing Integrated Coastal Zone Management in a national policy vacuum: Local case studies from Ireland

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is widely advocated at all levels of governance as a means of delivering sustainable development in coastal areas. This paper explores the status and characteristics of various forms of ICZM at the local level given that it is at this level that most ICZM activity currently takes place. In this context, local level ICZM includes agency-led initiatives, local pilot projects and bottom-up approaches. Providing empirical evidence about the relative strengths and weaknesses of these various models for local delivery, this paper presents an overview, critique of and lessons learned from approaches in Ireland, where there is no over-arching national coastal management policy to provide any steer for management. The potential for local government involvement in these approaches is emphasised, particularly in bottom-up and local projects which foster strengthened management capacity within local government with limited resource implications. Whilst the paper highlights difficult jurisdictional issues in the Irish context, the potential for improved coastal management, through continued local government involvement in ICZM networks and local projects, as well as through the implementation of the European Integrated Maritime Policy and Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is outlined.     

Integrated coastal management plan in free trade zones, a case study

Free Trade Zones (FTZs) around the world offer special advantages to investors and facilitate import/export of goods in order to boost the regional economy. Integrated coastal management in these areas faces special challenges in addition to what ordinary ICZMs usually encounter. For a successful ICZM plan, the very strong business orientation in FTZs has to be taken into account, while other important aspects such as environmental, social, and cultural issues should not be overlooked. The problem becomes more difficult where the free zone is situated in sensitive and valuable environmental circumstances.Kish Island, a free trade zone in the Persian Gulf region, has recently been the focus of a major ICZM study. In order to address the different needs of various stakeholders in the island, four strategic management plans are prepared. The investigations carried out in the course of this study indicated that the required management plans for this free trade zone should be provided with a spatial-plan-oriented approach, otherwise the integration can hardly be achieved and implemented.This article describes Kish FTZ characteristics and problems that required ICZM initiatives, the methodology for ICZM study, the preparation and implementation of strategic management plans considering the free zone obligations, and the need for a spatial umbrella plan to facilitate the integration among different plans in the implementation process.     

我国海岸带综合管理制度、实践及存在问题

海岸带综合管理作为沿海区域实现可持续发展目标的重要途径,对沿海地区科学有效地利用海岸带资源具有重要意义。本文从国家、省、市三个层面分析了我国当前海岸带综合管理制度现状和实践状况,提出了在海岸带综合管理立法缺失、权属不清、海陆统筹不能兼顾、海岸带规划与评价不足、管理技术亟待升级、海岸带基础数据尚不完备等制度方面存在的问题;基于国内外对海岸带综合管理的经验和实践,从加快海岸带立法、完善海岸带规划、协调综合管理、兼顾陆海统筹、提升管理技术、加强管理效果评价以及夯实基础信息等方面提出海岸带综合管理制度进一步完善的措施和建议,为进一步提升我国海岸带综合管理工作提供参考。     

Integrated coastal zone management towards Indonesia global ocean observing system (INA-GOOS): Review and recommendation

Indonesia as an archipelagos country consisting of more than 17,508 islands has a challenging problem in terms of island management and the provisional ocean services to the coastal community. The population growth (especially in coastal areas) followed by declining natural resources caused by overfishing and overexploitation is one of the biggest concerns both for the central and the local governments in Indonesia. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is one of the attempted solutions to overcome these difficulties, however, it is known to be unsatisfactory even after several programs under ICZM have been developed and implemented. Therefore, further facilitation of ICZM programs is necessary in order to benefit to Indonesian governmental management of their islands, coastal areas and oceans. In doing so, ICZM will also make a significant contribution towards the implementation of the Indonesia Global Ocean Observing System (INA-GOOS). This paper aims to review ICZM activities in Indonesia to obtain a better understanding of, and the need for ICZM implementations in support of their policy, sustainability and decision-making process in the direction of INA-GOOS. It is expected that the ICZM implementations will have a high impact on INA-GOOS programs.     

厦门海岸带资源与管理战略

本文分析了厦门海岸带资源现状和管理中存在的问题。厦门海岸带管理素来以行为的基础,实施行业管理。这种管理机制已经难以解决海岸带过度开发、环境恶化、资源开发利用与保护之间的矛盾等日益严重的问题。新型的海岸带资源管理是一种较为全面的管理方法,致力于建立综合管理体制,其中考虑到各行业部门对海岸带及其资源可能造成影响的各种活动,同时综合考虑社会、经济、环境和生态等问题,从而平衡和优化经济发展、公共利用和环境     

Visitors' awareness of ICZM and WTP for beach preservation in four European Mediterranean regions

This paper discusses the results of a multi-country survey about private stakeholders' contribution to coastal preservation. It was conducted in four coastal sites of Greece, Italy and France, in order to collect information about beach visitors' perception of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and their willingness to pay (WTP) for beach preservation, intended here as defence from erosion. In order to find out whether ICZM perception is a determinant of WTP, regression analysis is applied. Results show that in these sites respondents have a low level of information about the nature of ICZM, despite local authorities having implemented some ICZM strategies for preserving the coast. Nevertheless, those who are informed about ICZM have a higher probability of paying for beach preservation. This suggests to policymakers that promoting public awareness about ICZM may increase the probability of paying. Finally, some categories of visitors, such as women and young and middle-aged people, have a higher probability of paying than men and older people, thus suggesting a more sensitive attitude to beach preservation. Therefore, policy-makers should also pay attention to the categories of visitors less likely to pay.     

Towards climate adaptation and coastal governance in Ireland: Integrated architecture for effective management?

Coastal environments are susceptible to a range of impacts arising from medium and long-term climate change. However, as Ireland's population and industrial centres are concentrated in coastal locations, Ireland's coastal communities will be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Therefore, making the best use of existing knowledge to inform the establishment of governance structures capable of facilitating the measures and actions which may soon be required is a national imperative. Coastal communities worldwide have turned to integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) as a process to deliver sustainable development. This paper explores how experience gained from ICZM implementation can be harnessed to inform the development and implementation of climate adaptation policies, with a particular focus on the coastal zone. Using the principles and conceptual basis of Earth System Governance – an emerging approach to analyse complexity of governance under global environmental change – the paper maps the architecture of ICZM and climate governance in Ireland. The research identifies the main barriers to, and opportunities for, integrated application of the two policy domains. Barriers include the fragmentation of governance structures and responsibilities of key stakeholders, a lack of coordinated support for ICZM implementation at the national level, and a relatively weak awareness of the specifics of adaptation at the local level. Opportunities include the availability of expertise gathered from phases of ICZM implementation in Ireland, which encompasses mechanisms for science-policy integration, and invaluable experience of stakeholder participation and interaction. Current political and scientific support at national and EU levels give an additional impetus to climate research and actions which may bring additional opportunities and resources to coastal governance in Ireland.     

ICZM Protocols to Regional Seas Conventions: What? Why? How?

The regionalisation of international environmental law has emerged as one of the most important legal trends of the last decades. However, the regulation of coastal management stood apart from this trend for a long time; indeed, while integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) projects have developed at all scales, legal regulation of ICZM has long been confined to the national and sub-national levels. This is not the case any longer: recent developments in ICZM implementation demonstrate an increasing interest in regional regulation through the adoption of specific protocols within regional seas frameworks. The article aims at taking stock of these recent initiatives, specially focusing on the Mediterranean and Western Indian Ocean (WIO) regions. It demonstrates that an ICZM Protocol can be a strategic lever to address coastal issues only if certain conditions for its elaboration and implementation are effectively met.     

The coastal sustainability standard: A management systems approach to ICZM

This paper presents a systems-based appraisal methodology that has been designed specifically to consider the effectiveness of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) initiatives. Since ICZM is defined in terms of achieving sustainable development, any such initiative must therefore be capable of meeting the multiple and often conflicting objectives inherent in this ubiquitous concept. The methodology outlined here is designed to critically review ICZM in order to pinpoint areas of management weakness and determine the likely ‘success’ of the process. It represents an example of a management system, incorporates both qualitative and quantitative information, and is proposed as a ‘Coastal Sustainability Standard’ (CoSS). Initial field testing of the methodology has proved successful and shown that the approach holds some efficacy as a means of assessment.     

以生态系统管理为工具开展海岸带综合管理

本文从海岸带和海岸带综合管理的几大特征出发 (包括海岸带的中心地带———海 陆生态交错带、海岸带综合管理需要解决的主要问题———生态环境危机、海岸带综合管理的管理对象———社会 经济 自然复合生态系统等方面 ),提出生态学应成为海岸带综合管理的主要科学依据,海岸带综合管理应遵循并且充分运用生态学的理念和方法;文章通过对生态系统管理与海岸带综合管理的比较分析,指出生态系统管理正是生态学中有助于海岸带综合管理的最佳工具,海岸带综合管理应以生态系统管理为基础,并进一步阐述了生态系统管理在海岸带综合管理规划中的具体运用.     

Shortcomings in the European principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM): Assessing the implications for locally orientated coastal management using Biome Portfolio Analysis (BPA)

EU policy geared towards the sustainable development of European coastal areas has incorporated Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) as one of its primary mechanisms to achieve its goal. However, critical shortcomings in the ICZM paradigm have emerged. In particular, incoherence in the European Commission's ICZM principles with respect to local and strategic objectives remains an issue. Additionally, a lack of scientific certainty about environmental processes when determining the environmental pros and cons of alternative coastal-management decisions undermines environmentally protective decisions that may otherwise hinder local regional development. With these issues in mind, a Biodiversity Portfolio Analysis (BPA) is applied to Iarras Aithneach, a peninsula on the west coast of Ireland, to test its suitability as tool for ICZM. In addition, the paper uses the BPA methodology to explore the contrast between scientific/strategic and local attitudes towards the management of a coastal area of environmental importance. Pronounced differences between the two are found and the implications for both BPA and ICZM are discussed. The spatial and participatory nature of the BPA process and the explicit treatment of risk the framework exhibits suggest there is scope for it to become a useful tool for ICZM. It also has the potential to act as a routine way of quantifying the “attitude gap” between the scientific community and the local community when managing a unique coastal area.     

Empowering learning through design: a comparative analysis of ICM course development for web-based and classroom delivery

This article reviews the development of two courses focussed on meeting Integrated Coastal Management capacity building needs: an undergraduate degree course, and a web-based distance learning course. Influential factors in the development of each course are identified and compared. Important considerations are found to be methods of quality assurance, course content, the temporal and spatial context of teaching and learning, level of learner empowerment, and the role of the teacher. It is concluded that in order to understand the role of such courses in capacity building, coastal educators need to share experiences and encourage reflection on the effectiveness of capacity building efforts.