The world's tropical coastal zone contains coral reefs, one of the most productive and biologically rich ecosystems on the planet.  Almost half a billion people live within 100 km (60 miles) of coral reefs and this population continues to grow along with expanding coastal development.  The growth of cities, the building of roads and airports, dredging of harbours and shipping channels, and other construction projects are threatening coral reefs primarily from the deposition of sediment and poorly treated sewage.  Damage tot he coral reef community as a result of unplanned coastal development leads to long-term socio-economic loss.  By using Intercoastal Zone Management (ICZM) practices, a country can create sustainable coastal development projects that also serve to protect their coral reefs.

The Problem
Unplanned coastal development projects not only damage coral reefs, but also local economies that are supported by tourism.  Eighty-five percent of all tourism worldwide is in coastal areas, fueling a $385 billion dollar industry.  The sustainability of reef ecosystems, a significant driver of this industry and the communities that it supports, are compromised by unplanned, high-impact development.Ecological Impacts of Unplanned Coastal Development:

• Kills coral directly through the construction projects, such as piers, dikes, channels, and airstrips.
• Removal of sections of reef has indirect impacts, such as sand erosion, land retreat, and sedimentation.
• Other impacts of development, such as chronic sedimentation, sewage effluent, and industrial discharge, impact corals' immune systems, growth rates, and reproduction abilities, and may cause death

Socio-Economic Impacts of Unplanned Coastal Development

• Unless ICZM is implemented, tourism will decline, leading to loss in revenue.  In countries, such as Barbados, coral reefs which were described in 1919 as "good thriving reef" with "acres of bottom crowded coral", no longer exist.   The degradation of the Barbados reef is a result of the rapid development of the coastal zone since the 1950s and the corresponding decrease in water quality.
• Coral mining of material for development projects is unsustainable.  For example, Indonesia produces US$121,000 per km (per .6 miles) of reef while causing net losses of US$93,600 in fisheries value, US$12,000-260,000 in coastal protection and US$2,900-481,900 in tourism value (plus unknown costs due to loss of food security and biodiversity) for a maximum total loss of US$835,500 per km of reef.

Solution
ICZM is an approach to develop and implement environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable uses of the coastal zone.  This approach requires a coherent set of resource management policies and practices across the public and private sector that coordinates the management of sustainable development.  The key to ICZM is that all uses and activities are coordinated according to an agreed upon set of policies, and that the coordinated plan is effectively implemented.  This process may require a coordinating mechanism, such as an inter-ministerial council or commission with representatives from all the public and private sectors, along with mechanisms to ensure proper implementation, such as the clarification of authorities, an accountable lead agency, and/or economic incentives (e.g., withholding of infrastructure funding until the plan is completed and/or implemented).Integration of knowledge and programs is essential for success.  Many governments traditionally treat each activity separately.  There may be one law and set of regulations for pollution from factories, one for fisheries, and one for coastal building permits, all administered by different agencies.  The sector-by-sector approach focuses solely upon one issue or constituency and could result in a loss of valuable resources.  For example, if a country decides to establish a marine reserve, but has not used an ICZM approach to select the location and coordinate other coastal zone activities, the reserves protection may be undetermined by future uncoordinated development.  ICZM requires sound infrastructure and planning.  Existing agencies will still carry out specific management programs while the ICZM authority will concentrate on policy, strategy, planning, design, supervision of research and coordination.

Creating an ICZM Strategy

• Determine whether traditional principles or resource management measures exist and whether their appropriate implementation could enhance coastal resource management;
• Engage in participatory action research with local communities to extract anecdotal and traditional knowledge, to involve local stakeholders in policy planning and implementation, and to create local support for coastal management policies;.
• Inventory coastal environments, resources, and programs to support the continuous supply of data on the state of the coastal environment;
• Determine the short-term and long-term goals that call for coastal development consistent with the preservation of the environment and create a strategy for coastal zone management;
• Create and enforce a strong legal and institutional framework, including economic incentives to reinforce desired behaviours and outcomes;
• Develop a strong coastal management constituency and partnerships at the local, regional and national levels;
• Establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including no-take reserves, to protect, preserve and sustainably manage species and ecosystems of special value (this includes threatened species and habitats);
• Perform Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of all development projects in the terrestrial and aquatic sections of the coastal zone;
• Assess and monitor pollutants in the water column and make a plan for pollution control.

Other recommendations:

• Ratify and implement international and regional policies such as:
  • The Montreal Declaration on the Protection of Marine Environment from Land-based Activities
  • The Convention on Wetlands, otherwise known as the Ramsar Convention;
  • Cartagena Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment;
  • Programme of Action from the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; and
  • The Protocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW).