A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

110 MARINE AND COASTAL
PROTECTED AREAS
Box I-8. Special Habitats
CZM should recognize three types of particularly valuable habitats by identifying
the following three categories:
1. Generic types of habitats: Those that are widely recognized as highly valuable and
that should be given a high degree of protection through regulatory mechanisms—
wetlands, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, species nesting sites. All should be mapped
and publicized. In the CZM process of project review, developers would be required
to avoid these types of habitats; therefore, developers must be informed ahead of
time (before they design projects) that restrictions exist. In addition to ecologically
valuable areas, other types of areas should be identified, such as sand dunes (which
stabilize beaches) and flood-prone lowlands (those that are regularly flooded) both
of which would be included in a “natural hazards prevention” category.
2. Specific sites: Those that are identified as Special Habitats and should be identified
for special regulatory protection. These would include certain specific (named)
lagoons, estuaries, islands, mangrove forests, river deltas, coral reefs, and so forth.
Each would be described, mapped and announced for the knowledge of all interested
parties. The CZM authority would strongly constrain development in these site-specific
habitats by regulation. As “red flag” areas, they would get special analysis in the
development review process.
3. Resource Reserves and Other MPAs: This category includes critical marine and
coastal resource areas that need the additional safeguard of the type of custodial
protection that is awarded to terrestrial parks and reserves. Such MPAs would be
assigned to the country’s existing conservation agency for management. Proprietorship
(whether through ownership or custodianship) generally confers a higher level of
autonomy than does CZM regulation through the “police power” (as in (2) above).
Source: modified from Clark, 1998.
1. Generic habitat types: all mangrove forests are included in a “special planning areas”
category.
2. Specific sites (critical areas): numerous bays, lagoons and other coastal features
are included in a list of site-specific special planning areas.
3. Protected Areas: numerous coastal areas of exceptional natural value are identified
as potential Natural Reserves.
CZM uses the current concepts of sustainable use, multiple use, rights to the
commons, biodiversity, zoning, protection of special habitats, public participation,
capacity building, institutional strengthening, co-management, situation management,
and integrated management. The key is unitary management of the zone, which
treats the shorelands and coastal waters as a single interacting unit and coordinates
the interest of all stakeholders (Clark, 1998). Full participation of stakeholders is a
necessity (Box I-9).