Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in ...

Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe – Final Report
Improve the knowledge basis for ICZM
Support ICZM research, in particular by linking into relevant
action lines of FP7, and provide priority funding for projects fully
in line with the principles of good ICZM. Promote learning from
good and bad practices and tools to support decision making.
Create a single European ICZM knowledge centre.
9
ICZM has a set of principles that should be applied. These can
serve as a kind of basic toolbox for management units at the
coast to approach and solve their problems. Still, for practitioners
on the ground these principles need to be translated
into operational tasks and instruments have to be adjusted to
the respective institutional context and local problems.
This represents a substantial challenge for science and
research, in which the EU plays an important role with its
different R&D programmes. To date, most of the implementation
of ICZM projects throughout Europe has an ad-hoc
character and is not long-term oriented, as the findings of the
regional seas analysis underline. To produce a solid scientific
basis for ICZM this has to be changed by providing a significant
and visible place in EU research programmes (such as FP7).
To follow ICZM principles and apply ICZM tools on national,
regional and local levels is to date a voluntary exercise.
Questionnaires and evaluations have given an ambivalent
picture supporting and rejecting a new EC directive on ICZM.
There is a clear North-South gradient between the EU coastal
member states in showing more resistance against a directive
in the North (mostly with rather good functioning systems of
spatial planning) and more appeal towards a directive in the
South. To promote ICZM to both fractions, the advantages of
ICZM have to be worked out much clearer than is currently
possible.
The results from the EU report Assessment of Socio-Economic
Costs & Benefits of ICZM (2000) clearly stresses the advantages
of ICZM. Such results and examples from good and bad
practices can help to improve the perception of ICZM. Coastal
management units have to understand how to apply ICZM in
order to obtain a return on investment and foster a long-term,
sustainable perspective in their coastal areas.
Rationale
Major gap between
strategy and
practice
Continued analysis
of ICZM practice
required
Clarify benefits
and need for
further regulation
Produce knowledge
for stakeholders
Another stimulus for the application of the ICZM principles roots
in the incorporation into project applications. A common
practice in scientific projects is to promote an integrative
approach and the integration of different disciplines as this is
viewed as a prerequisite for funding. The proper application of
the ICZM principles could be set as a further prerequisite for
funding of coastal development projects and programmes.
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