A survey of integrated coastal zone management experiences

Coastal problems that stem from human activities are almost always rooted in resource use conflicts. Since the majority of the world's population lives in coastal areas, such conflicts can only be expected to increase. As population growth continues, the pressure to develop coastal areas for housing, industry, tourism, aquaculture, fisheries, and other uses, will intensify these conflicts, Furthermore, these developments take place in a dynamic natural coastal environment where the hazardous conditions caused by climate variability and climate change will impose additional stresses. The main objective of any government policy is, basically, to encourage changes in human behaviour in order to achieve desired goals. In this process, the main purpose of management is to provide the conditions that will facilitate development and stimulate progress. In general, the goals are specified targets related to the desired mix of goods, services and values to be produced, consumed, or conserved, ICZM is such a management process, which can anticipate and respond to the needs of the coastal society. Public participation in the planning and implementation of ICZM is there-fore essential. The management procedure generally comprises a set of related tasks, all of which must be carried out to achieve a desired set of objectives. The basis steps involved in the management cycle are: problem recognition, analysis and planning, implementation of measures, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures in relation to the stated objectives. The way in which this process is executed will depend to a large extend on cultural, political, economic and historical conditions, and its success will therefore depend on the degree of public endorsement achieved.Hydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience