Unravelling the Relationship between Ecosystem-Based Management, Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Marine Spatial Planning
Martin Le Tissier
Abstract
Coastal zones are among the most productive areas in the world, offering a wide variety of valuable habitats and ecosystems services that have attracted humans and human activities over millennia. But equally coastal zones are also among the most vulnerable areas to climate change, natural hazards and other anthropogenic perturbations. The impacts of coastal change are far reaching and are already changing the wellbeing of coastal communities. It is essential to make use of long-term management tools to enhance the conservation of coastal resources whilst increasing the sustainability of their uses. Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) are both tools that attempt to override traditional sectoral approaches that lead to disconnected decisions and missed opportunities for more sustainable coastal development. Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) describes the comprehensive integrated management of human activities based on the best available scientific knowledge to achieving sustainable use of ecosystem goods and services and maintenance of ecosystem integrity. However, there is a degree of contradiction regarding the juxtaposition of EBM to ICM and MSP—does it underpin and coordinate the implementation of them or does ICM and MSP coordinate the application of EBM principles to management practices and goals or does the difference in terminology detract from the real challenge of achieving sustainability of the world’s coastal and marine areas? This chapter provides insights into the juxtaposition of these concepts and suggests a promising future approach founded on Biodiversity Portfolio Analysis (BPA).