Coastal decision making

Question 1

Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM)

Answer 1

A coastal management plan over the long term, including all stakeholders, working with natural processes and using adaptive management, changing plans as threats change

Question 2

What are the key characteristics of ICZM?

Answer 2

• The entire coastal zone is managed, including all ecosystems, resources and human activity in the zone?
• recognises importance of coastal zone to people’s livelihoods
• recognises that management must be sustainable, so economic development must take place to improve quality of life, but must be environmentally appropriate

Question 3

Littoral cells

Answer 3

Contain sediment sources, transport paths and sinks. Each littoral cell is isolated, but they can be managed as a holistic unit

Question 4

How does ICZM work?

Answer 4

with the concept of littoral or sediment cells. coastline divided up into cells and each managed as an integrated unit

Question 5

ICZM in the UK

Answer 5

• 11 Sediment cells in England and wales
• each cell managed as a whole or sub unit
• Shoreline management plan is used
• SMP area divided into sub-cells
• SMPs extend across council boundaries, councils must work together to manage an extended stretch of coastline.

Question 6

DEFRA’s four policies for coastal management

Answer 6

• No active intervention
• Hold the Line
• Strategic realignment
• Advance the line

Question 7

No active intervention

Answer 7

No investment in defending against coastal flooding or erosion, coast is allowed to erode landward and/or flood

Question 8

Hold the line

Answer 8

Build or maintain coastal defences so that the position of the shoreline remains the same over time

Question 9

Strategic Realignment

Answer 9

Allow the coastline to move naturally but managing the process to direct it to certain areas.

Question 10

Advance the line

Answer 10

Build new coastal defences on the seaward side of the coastline, involved land reclaimation

Question 11

Which factors decide the policy applied in a particular location?

Answer 11

• economic value of assets
• technical feasibility of engineering solutions
• cultural or ecological value of the land
• pressure from communities
• social value of communities

Question 12

How can policies change?

Answer 12

-SMPs use time periods, can change strategy after given time

Question 13

Case study impact of policy options

Answer 13

Holders coast, Hornsea and Mappleton

Question 14

Winners

Answer 14

People who gain from the decision

Question 15

Losers

Answer 15

People who are likely to lose property, jobs, businesses, environmental losers

Question 16

Winners and losers produced due to management plans is inevitable because

Answer 16

• coastal managers produce plans for entire SMP areas, so some areas are protected and others are not
• local councils and government have limited resources so all places cannot be protected

Question 17

Case study where all stakeholders agree on a course of action

Answer 17

Blackwater Estuary

Question 18

Why is erosion rapid in the developing world?

Answer 18

• upstream dams reducing sediment supply to the coast and disrupt sediment cells
• widespread destruction of mangrove forests

Question 19

Who are the main losers in the developing world?

Answer 19

-poorest people

Question 20

Why are the poorest people the main losers?

Answer 20

• farmers and residents lack titles so can’t claim compensation
• poorest people lose everything
• individual property owners take responsibility for coastal defences in the absence of local government