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Agenda 21, Chapter 17, Section A
Integrated Management and Sustainable Development of Coastal and Marine Areas, Including Exclusive Economic Zones
The underlying principals of integrated management and sustainable development remain largely unchanged. Stakeholder participation, international co-operation and the need for a coordinating mechanism at all stages of the management process, is as relevant today as it was 10 years ago and still requires the same high priority. However, there is now a greater understanding of words such as �integrated� and �sustainable,� in terms of their application to real world issues, rather than being convenient, descriptive phrases.
There is now a change in political motivation to recognise the importance of transboundary issues to coastal zone management. The formulation of the 
EU Water Frameworks Directive has underlined this emphasis by considering whole river basins, regardless of political boundaries.
The importance of stakeholder participation in management decisions has been widely accepted as essential, if effective management of the coastal zone is to be achieved.
The coastal environment here is rich in terms of wildlife, fishery stocks and energy and mineral resources. It therefore has high potential for conflicts of interest. Local groups write management plans for their immediate area, working alongside specialist interest groups, industry, local and federal government. These local groups are also responsible for implementation of those specific strategies adopted. The system is so far seen as a success since incentives are high.
Recognition of the importance of trade-offs and balance between the two equally important factors of protection and resource utilisation.
The understanding and evaluation of environmental carrying capacity in order to identify particularly sensitive areas and aid in the setting of environmental quality standards.
Bonaire is an island constituent of the Netherlands Antilles, with an area of 288km and has an extensive fringing reef surrounding it. Diving areas are restricted in number to avoid widespread effects, and permanent moorings are used. However, between 1981 and 1991, increase in the number of reef dives occurred, from 50,000 to 180,000. Negative impacts were observed on the reef due to concentrated diving activities. Ecological assessments were conducted and critical levels calculated at 5,000 dives per year per site. The coastline available for diving was estimated at 52km2, and with 4,500 dives per year for 86 sites, total dives would therefore be 387,000 per year. To allow for the inaccessibility of some sites, this value was further reduced to 200,000 in order to reduce concentrated effects at specific areas. These levels, coupled with a tourism carrying capacity of 100,000, meant dive capacity was further reduced to 100,000 per year. These findings were subsequently incorporated within island policy.
There has been considerable adoption of the causal chain analysis in management decision making. This enables the identification of social, economic and environmental factors, which regulate impacts upon the coastal zone.
The concept of integrated management in terms of watersheds, river basins, estuaries, coastal areas and marine environments, appears to have been accepted into the United Nations system and into the policies of most countries as a tool for an ecosystem-based approach to sustainable development. However, there are still a lot of improvements that need to be made to ICM efforts to make them more efficient at meeting their goals, being applicable to all nations, and in meeting the objectives of Agenda 21. Although significant improvements have been made over the last ten years there are still major implementation problems faced by many of the world�s governments.
Over the past ten years the legal and institutional basis for sustainable development of our coasts and oceans has been considerably improved, rewritten and adapted to the needs of the present day. However the implementation of these instruments has not achieved the same level of success for three main reasons.
The difficulty in making political decisions regarding resources and wealth allocation.
The difficulty of improving inadequate or inefficient institutions. Many nations do not have the economic ability or political will to adopt the measures described in Agenda 21.
In many cases (as in developing countries), the difficulty in meeting the related financial commitments required to instigate and run a successful ICM program.
This section will attempt to identify the key areas of coastal zone management that need to be improved to create efficient programs in the future which are easily implemented in both developed and developing countries on regional, national and international levels.
Defining the Coastal Zone: The debate over the true meaning of the �coastal zone� has been a continual problem to scientists and environmental managers for many years. It has become clear that in order to tackle the transboundary nature of most coastal issues it is necessary to work from one solid definition that can be applied to all nations and promote true integration of national effort. The best approach for the future appears to be the definition of the coastal zone adopted in the EU Water Frameworks Directive (EU, 2000), which identifies River Basin Districts as the management unit. This definition does not respect international boundaries and implies a cooperative responsibility on those nations who share a common resource and whose actions will benefit or detract from the environmental quality of a neighbouring nation.
Information Transfer: A true definition of the coastal zone, which requires nations to cooperate in their management activities, will promote the exchange of information, critical to coastal management success. GIS systems, Pollution Release Transfer Registers (PRTRs), internet databases and regular multi-nation workshops are required to ensure the flow of information between regions and nations and aiding developing countries who may not have the political or institutional capacity to carry out their own research.
Participatory Approach: The realisation that everyone, from central government to coastal residents, shares responsibility for the coastal zone has become a foundation of many coastal initiatives. Stakeholder involvement leads to long-term benefits, allowing all needs to be heard and catered for. This should be promoted and given a high priority in the future as it provides the opportunity to integrate traditional knowledge and socio-cultural values at a level that will lead to a consensual plan of action that will have the full cooperation of all resource users.
Measuring Success: Coastal management plans are legion; they cover different issues in different cultural and economic climates, often in very different ways, with differing outcomes. This is inevitable; nations are likely to have individual issues unique to their situation, as they perceive it. It is unfeasible to apply generic ICM schemes on a global basis. What is required in the future is a method of quantifying the success of a management plan. The criteria for such an evaluation procedure exist at all stages of planning and implementation. The challenge for the future is to write them into the necessary legislative and legal instruments to ensure that management effort is not being wasted and that its guiding principals are being met.
It is easy to adopt a pessimistic view when considering the pressures placed on the coastal zone. Populations are increasing and the demand for and pressure upon the marine resource is growing faster than sustainability programs can be instigated. However, the challenge is there and needs to be met with optimism. Ten years on from Agenda 21 significant improvements have been and are being made in a continual process of evaluation. Effective coastal zone management and sustainable development programs are not just a pipe dream, with improvement of the key areas identified and through the promotion of consensus amongst nations and user groups on actions taken, the next ten years can prove more productive than the last and aid in the further implementation of the ideals of Agenda 21.