ICM Basics     Introduction What Is the Coast? What Is Management? What Does Integrated Mean? What Is Integrated Coastal Management? What Triggers the Need for ICM? What Are Its Guiding Principles? What Are the Functions of ICM? What Capacity Is Needed for ICM? What Kinds of Institutions Carry Out ICM? References       "ICM initiatives are designed to develop public awareness, build capacity, foster cooperation, strengthen institutional and legal frameworks, and formulate and implement issue-driven action plans."                   "What differentiates ICM from other forms of development planning is that it facilitates the optimization of the economic and social benefits derived from the use of natural resources."             "Since all forms of development impact on the health and productivity of coastal ecosystems, sustainable economic and social development of coastal areas cannot be separated from sound environmental planning and management."

From the start, ICM initiatives are designed to develop public awareness, build capacity, foster cooperation, strengthen institutional and legal frameworks, and formulate and implement issue-driven action plans. With the development of enhanced experience and skills, the scope of the ICM program expands to address new problems, explore new development opportunities, and further strengthen management skills, interagency cooperation, collaboration, and integration of development and environmental protection. Beyond the limits of national boundaries, ICM could serve as an instrument to resolve international transboundary issues, such as marine pollution, overexploitation of shared stocks of resources, and the conservation of biological diversity. (Chua, 1996: 2) ICM improves the traditional forms of development planning in four distinct ways, namely: - Furtherance of a thorough understanding of the natural resources systems which are unique to the coastal areas and their sustainability within the context of a wide variety of human activities, - Optimization of the multiple use of the coastal resource systems through the integration of ecological, social, and economic information, - Promotion of interdisciplinary approaches and intersectoral cooperation and coordination to address complex development issues and formulate integrated strategies for the expansion and diversification of economic activities, and - Assistance to governments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of capital investment and natural and human resources in achieving economic, social, and environmental objectives as well as in meeting international obligations concerning the coastal and marine environment. (Chua, 1996: 3) What differentiates ICM from other forms of development planning is that it facilitates the optimization of the economic and social benefits derived from the use of natural resources. Where sustainable development depends upon renewable resources generated by the coastal systems, such as estuaries, ICM facilitates the multiple use management which maintains the functional integrity of the systems and a constant flow of resources. Since all forms of development impact on the health and productivity of coastal ecosystems, sustainable economic and social development of coastal areas cannot be separated from sound environmental planning and management. This is as important to developing economies heavily dependent on the quality of the environment and natural resources to sustain food security as it is to developed economies with intensive forms of coastal development. (Chua, 1996: 2) In contrast to sectoral entities and processes, which tend to be concerned with only one use or resource of the coastal and marine environment, the ICM process is expected to address several important functions related to overall patterns of use, the well-being of marine and coastal areas, and the protection of key fisheries habitat, as set out in Table 2. The typical activities related to these functions are detailed in Table 3. Table 4 summarizes types of activities that in 1996 were reported to be part of 29 national ICM efforts (Cicin-Sain and Knecht, 1998).   Table 2. Major Functions of Integrated Coastal Management Area Planning Plan for present and future uses of coastal and marine areas; provide a long term vision. Promotion of Economic Development Promote appropriate uses of coastal and marine areas (e.g., marine aquaculture, ecotourism). Stewardship of Resources Protect the ecological base of coastal and marine areas; preserve biological diversity; ensure sustainability of uses. Conflict Resolution Harmonize and balance existing and potential uses; address conflicts among coastal and marine uses. Protection of Public Safety Protect public safety in coastal and marine areas typically prone to significant natural, as well as human-made, hazards. Proprietorship of Public Submerged Lands and Waters As governments are often outright owners of specific coastal and marine areas, manage government-held areas and resources wisely and with good economic returns to the public.   Table 3. Typical ICM Activities Area Planning Stewardship of Resources Studies of coastal environments and their uses Conduct of environmental assessments Zoning of uses Conduct of relative risk assessments Aniticipation of and planning for new uses Establishment and enforcement of environmental standards Regulation of coastal development projects and their proximity to the shoreline Protection and improvement of coastal water quality (point sources, nonpoint sources) Public education on the value of coastal and marine areas Establishment and management of coastal and marine protected areas Regulation of public access to coastal and marine areas Conservation and restoration of coastal and marine environments (mangrove forests, coral reefs, wetlands, etc.) Promotion of Economic Development Conflict Resolution Industrial Fisheries Studies of multiple uses and their interactions Artisinal Fisheries Applications of conflict resolution methods Mass tourism Mitigation of unavoidable adverse effects on some uses Ecotourism Marine aquaculture Marine transportation Port development Marine recreation Offshore minerals Ocean research Access to genetic resources   Table 4. Types of ICM Activities Conducted in Selected Countries All (%) Developed (%) Middle Developing (%) Developing (N = 49) (N = 14) (N = 15) (N = 20) Area Planning Studies of coastal environments and their uses 92 79 93 100 Zoning of uses 76 79 73 75 Anticipation of and planning for new uses 57 71 53 50 Regulation of coastal development projects and their proximity to the shoreline 73 79 73 70 Public education on the value of coastal and marine areas 69 64 73 70 Regulation of public access to coastal and marine areas 65 71 73 55 Promotion of Economic Development Industrial fisheries 55 57 67 45 Artisanal fisheries 63 43 80 65 Mass tourism 53 50 67 45 Ecotourism 69 57 67 80 Marine aquaculture 88 86 93 85 Marine transportation 51 50 53 50 Port development 73 79 67 75 Marine recreation 80 93 87 65 Offshore minerals 45 43 40 50 Ocean research 61 50 67 65 Access to genetic resources 22 21 20 25 Stewardship of Resources Conduct of environmental assessments 90 86 80 100 Conduct of relative risk assessments 45 71 40 30 Establishment and enforcement of environmental standards 73 79 67 75 Protection and improvement of water quality (point sources, nonpoint sources) 76 93 73 65 Establishment and management of coastal and marine protected areas 80 86 87 70 Conservation and restoration of coastal and marine environments (mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands) 78 71 73 85 Conflict Resolution Studies of multiple uses and their interactions 71 71 67 75 Applications of conflict resolution methods 47 50 53 40 Mitigation of unavoidable adverse effects on some uses 47 64 40 40 Protection of Public Safety Reduction of vulnerability to natural disasters and global changes (e.g., sea-level rise) 41 64 34 30 Regulation of development in high-risk areas through such methods as the establishment of "set-back lines" 49 50 53 45 Construction of coastal defense measures (e.g., seawalls) 61 64 60 60 Creation of evacuation plans or other measures in case of coastal emergency 31 50 27 20 Proprietorship of Public Submerged Lands and Waters Establishment of leases and fees for use of publicly held coastal and marine resources and spaces 49 64 47 40 Establishment of joint ventures to exploit nonrenewable resources (e.g., offshore oil) 35 29 33 40 Note: Percentages do not add up to 100% because respondents were allowed to mark multiple activities. Source: Cicin-Sain and Knecht, 1998, pp. 47-49. The 1996 cross-national survey conducted by Cicin-Sain and Knecht points to the following major findings: *The most significant ICM activity reported was area planning, with 92 percent of responses reporting conduct of studies of the coastal zone, 76 percent reporting zoning of uses, and 73 percent reporting regulation of coastal development projects and their proximity to the shoreline. *Respondents also frequently reported activities to promote economic development, especially for marine aquaculture (88 percent of responses), marine recreation (80 percent of responses, with the greatest proportion from developed countries), port development (73 percent of responses), and ecotourism. (69 percent of responses, with the greatest proportion from developing countries). *With respect to stewardship of resources, 90 percent of respondents reported the conduct of environmental assessments and 80 percent reported the establishment and management of coastal and marine protected areas. *Regarding conflict resolution, 71 percent of respondents reported the conduct of studies of multiple uses and their interactions, while only less than half (47 percent) reported the use of conflict resolution and mitigation approaches. *Concerning protection of public safety, the most common activity was construction of coastal defense measures such as seawalls, mentioned by 61 percent of respondents. *Finally, with regard to proprietorship of public submerged lands and waters, less than half of the respondents (49 percent) reported the use of leases and fees for ocean and coastal uses, and 35 percent reported the use of joint ventures for exploitation of nonrenewable resources. (top)

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