A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

48 MARINE AND COASTAL
PROTECTED AREAS
2.7 Control of External Influences
Successful management of an MPA may depend on how much the influence of
adjacent areas can be controlled, as discussed above and as articulated in the following
situations:
– All areas that may be linked to the park or protected area should be examined
carefully and monitored regularly—activities in remote areas can sometimes
affect coastal or marine systems (e.g., deforestation leading to increased
sedimentation, or pollution by inland industries along major rivers).
– Buffer zones with controlled multiple use can be established to control certain
activities, reducing pressure on the core of the protected area.
– Mechanisms (such as management coordinating committees) can be created to
correct unfavorable conditions in adjacent areas.
– Conflicting uses can be controlled if the protected area is incorporated into a general
plan for coastal or marine resource uses (e.g., a Coastal Zone Management
programme).
In the absence of a Coastal Zone Management (CZM) programme to assist with
addressing transboundary effects from pollution (Figure I-26) and other impacts, the
MPA planner or manager can attempt to
establish a coordinating network composed
FIGURE I-26.
of agencies with authority in surrounding
areas of the land or sea which lie within the
Zone of Influence (ZOI) of the MPA (Clark,
1998).
As examples, Spain has established
a defined ZOI along parts of its coastal
zone (Boelart-Suominen and Cullinan,
1994) and the Gulf Of Mannar Marine
Biosphere Reserve (Tamil Nadu, India) has
established a type of ZOI coordinating
network (Neelakantan, K.S. 1994) to solve
transboundary problems (see Part I-5).
2.8 Advisory Committees
Pollution can be a severe problem for MPAs.
Advisory committees (see Table I-1; F,2,a) may be appropriate for any given MPA. They
should be established prior to or during site planning. It is less beneficial to activate
them after a management plan is completed and ready for implementation. Such
committees may be utilized for periodic consultation, for evaluation of the effectiveness
of a plan, to review progress and approve work plans, and to authorize budgets or
Photo by Mike Fahay.