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A structured model to enable coastal and marine spatial planning in SouthAfricaLouis Celliers 1 , Daniel Malan 2 , Susan Taljaard 1 , Lara van Niekerk 1 & Melanie Luck-Vogel 11 Coastal Systems, Natural Resources and the Environment, CSIR, South Africalcelliers@csir.co.za, staljaar@csir.co.za, mluckvogel@csir.co.za2 Chief Directorate: Integrated Coastal Management, Oceans and Coast Branch, Department of Environmental Affairs, SouthAfricadmalan@environment.gov.zaAbstractSouth Africa is a middle-income, developing country with a transforming society and as such is beset with economicand social challenges. This paper outlines the context within which coastal and marine spatial planning isenabled by a structured model of institutions, policy, legislation and tools. Coastal and marine spatial planning is anecessity to achieve national growth and development targets. This paper identifies the elements which shape such astructured model within the existing framework of institutionalised integrated coastal management.IntroductionSouth Africa’s coastline extends for approximately 3,000 km from the border of Namibia to Mozambique, thusconnecting the continent to the Indian, Atlantic and Southern Oceans. According to a cost-benefit analysis by theUN (UNOPS, 2011) coastal activities in South Africa contribute ZAR 64.3 billion to gross economic output andpoverty alleviation. The ocean and coastal domain of South Africa being an important asset to its people, the use ofits resources must be planned in order to maximize benefit and ensure sustainability. The last two decades have seenmany initiatives and actions emphasizing the need for spatial information for this purpose. As those actions remainedlargely unconnected and fragmented, this paper outlines some of the major events that form part of the advancementtowards a structured model to enable coastal and marine spatial planning in South Africa. In the globalcontext, South Africa is leading much of the innovation relating to integrated coastal management (ICM). The enactmentof the Integrated Coastal Management Act (No. 24 of 2008) establishes a framework and process for theestablishment and implementation of ICM, using coastal management programmes as the primary vehicle. Thishighly institutionalised process incorporates the requirements for the establishment of (coastal and) marine spatialplanning (Taljaard et al. 2012). This paper will briefly examine the enabling components, i.e. legislation; systems;institutions, of a structured model to enable seamless coastal and marine spatial planning (i.e. integrating spatialplanning across the land-sea interface). It will also set the strategy for the establishment of a functional and structuredmodel to achieve marine spatial planning for national growth and development goals whilst striving for sustainability.Priorities for growth and development in South AfricaSouth Africa is a middle-income, developing country with a transforming society. The country has an abundantsupply of natural resources and high biodiversity; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, andtransport sectors; a stock exchange that is the 18th largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting a relativelyefficient distribution of goods to major urban centres. Unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructurehas constrained growth. Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era—especially poverty, lackof economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups, and a shortage of public transportation. The increasingand predicted impacts of global and climate change are a growing concern for all sectors (DEA, 2011a, 2010a).South Africa faces a growing need for rapid social and economic development in order to achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. This development imperative is often prioritised at the expense of environmental integrity.Recently, a growing number of national development initiatives and assessments have recognised the importance ofthe natural resource base in achieving socio-economic goals.With the economic, social and environmental realities in mind, there are two key policies driving the national prioritiesfor growth and development. These policies also shape the need for and requirements of a structured model,84