Coastal Management

Global Challenges and Innovations

R. R. Krishnamurthy, M.P. Jonathan, Seshachalam Srinivasalu, Bernhard Glaeser, R. R. Krishnamurthy, M.P. Jonathan, Seshachalam Srinivasalu, Bernhard Glaeser

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780128104750
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Environmental Science
• Index: Biological Sciences

Coastal Management: Global Challenges and Innovations focuses on the resulting problems faced by coastal areas in developing countries with a goal of helping create updated management and tactical approaches for researchers, field practitioners, planners and policymakers. This book gathers, compiles and interprets recent developments, starting from paleo-coastal climatic conditions, to current climatic conditions that influence coastal resources. Chapters included cover almost all aspects of coastal area management, including sustainability, coastal communities, hazards, ocean currents and environmental monitoring.

• Contains contributions from a global pool of authors with a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, making this an authoritative and compelling reference
• Presents the appropriate tools used in monitoring and controlling coastal management, including innovative approaches towards community participation and the implementation of bottom-up tactics
• Includes case studies from across the world, allowing for a thorough comparison of situations in both developing and developed countries

Chapter 1

Global Coasts in the Face of Disasters

Rajib Shaw    Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

Coastal areas are known for its resources as well as vulnerabilities. If properly managed, these areas become economic, development, and recreation hubs. All the major global frameworks of development, disaster, and climate change have relevance to coastal areas. For an effective disaster management in the coastal areas, there needs to be a combination of predisaster planning and preparedness issues, as well as during and postdisaster activities. In the global era of technology, the new and emerging technologies have strong role of play in the management of coastal resources.

Keywords

Coastal resources; Vulnerabilities; SDGs; Disaster risk reduction; Climate change; Emerging technologies

1 Introduction

Being the most prominent and traditional part of the transportation system, coastal areas have several infrastructures such as ports and fishing harbors. Several areas in the coastal zones are dominated by industries. Some of them can cause significant impacts to the people and communities if they are not resilient, as seen in the case of the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima due to the East Japan earthquake and tsunami. Coastal zones also have rich biodiversity with coastal buffers such as mangroves, which reduces the impacts of hazards and enhances the livelihoods of the people and communities living nearby. It is said that more than 45% of the world's population lives in coastal areas (within 100 km of the coast area). The Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ, less than 10 m elevation) is also considered for its different threats.

Coastal areas are known for their resources as well as vulnerabilities. While people go to the coastal areas for business (as part of their livelihoods) as well as entertainment (coastal resorts), the coastal hazards (typhoon/cyclone/hurricane, storm surge, tsunami) pose significant threats to the population and infrastructure. While the above-mentioned hazards are more visible, there are also the impacts of creeping disasters such as rising sea levels, which are already affecting several small island countries and communities. Coastal erosion is also affecting a significant number of lives and habitats.

2 Global Framework and Coast

Many global frameworks have mentioned coastal areas in different ways. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mentioned the importance of coasts as follows:

Secure blue wealth by ensuring a healthy and productive marine environment with all basic provisioning, support, regulation, and cultural services. Provide equitable access to resources, and ensure that neither pollution nor the harvesting and extraction of animate and inanimate resources impairs the basic functions of the ecosystem. Facilitate the development of sustainable and resilient coastal communities. Harmonize national and regional maritime policies, and encourage cooperation in coastal and global marine spatial planning.

The Paris climate agreement also focused on the needs of the SIDS (Small Island Developing States), and highlighted the importance of mitigation and adaptation as well as damage and loss due to climate change. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) also focuses on the need for transboundary collaboration for a resilient coastline, and also to promote mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in coastal zone management.

A recent study by the G-7 countries on climate fragility suggested that the complex nature of climate impacts international relations, especially related to the coast. The study mentioned that gradual sea temperature change has caused specific fish varieties to move away from Japan's coast, thereby causing fishermen to move farther out to sea to catch fish, which is making additional resources necessary. That has increased the food price in Japan. Also, competition with neighboring countries has increased, often causing violations of the international fishing line.

Apart from these global frameworks, the international science policy framework and the global environmental research framework have also identified the importance of coastal zone management. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), in its chapter (Chapter 5) on “Coastal System and Low-lying Areas,” said:

“The population and assets exposed to coastal risks as well as human pressures on coastal ecosystems will increase significantly in the coming decades due to population growth, economic development, and urbanization.” It has also clarified that: “Some low-lying developing countries (e.g., Bangladesh, Vietnam) and small islands are expected to face very high impacts and associated annual damage and adaptation costs of several percentage points of gross domestic product (GDP).”

The Future Earth research program has also emphasized the importance of coastal areas in its KAN (Knowledge Action Network):

The ocean, including coastal and near-shore areas, thus provide services essential for life on earth and to the history, culture, and livelihoods of people across the globe. However, the ocean is also facing multiple challenges from climate change, overfishing, acidification, deoxygenation, and pollution. Accordingly, the United Nations referred to the importance of a healthy ocean in several of (its) Sustainable Development Goals.

3 Disaster Risk and Coasts

For effective disaster management in the coastal areas, there needs to be a combination of predisaster planning and preparedness issues as well as during and postdisaster activities. As a part of predisaster preparedness, coastal buffer and coastal zone planning and management become of utmost importance. This includes the planting and protecting of coastal green belts as well as the protection of the coastline through coastal dykes or other hard infrastructures, based on a carefully performed risk analysis. On the other hand, softer components such as coastal watching and disaster education also become important to enhance the perception and understanding of coastal hazards. The “education for sustainable development (ESD)” in some of the coastal schools in Kesennuma, Japan, has been extremely useful for the safer evacuation of school children and local communities, notably in the case of the East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Similarly, regular disaster drills involving elementary and junior high school children along with the local communities have helped joint evacuation of the children to the higher ground during the tsunami, resulting in no casualty in those schools in Kamaishi city in Iwate prefecture of Japan.

In the time of disaster, three issues become important, especially in the coastal areas: (i) an early warning system (EWS), (ii) evacuation shelters, and (iii) the human network. For an effective evacuation for coastal hazards, the first and foremost necessity is the timely warning system, including sounding that warning to the people and communities in the coastal towns and villages. The “last mile communication” of the EWS is always a challenge, and it needs possibly a balanced mix of technology and local knowledge. The second important issue is safer places for evacuation, which are often schools as cyclone shelters, built in many coastal areas in different countries. However, in spite of having an EWS and existing shelters, timely evacuation is a human behavior that depends on one's judgment and risk perception. Therefore, a human network of volunteers plays an important role. This means identifying people who can facilitate an early evacuation of specific vulnerable groups such as the aged population, the physically challenged, pregnant mothers, and small children. A combination of these three elements is found to be useful for effective evacuation, not only for developing countries but for developed countries as well.

4 Way Forward

The 21st century is considered to be the century of information age and technologies, where new emerging technologies such as the IoT (Internet of Things), robotics, drones, three-dimensional printing, block chains, and artificial intelligence have a strong role to play in our daily lives. These emerging technologies, along with information technology, can make significant changes in society.

However, this technological development needs a balanced approach of a mechanism of governance, technological development, and education/awareness. For effective coastal zone management in terms of disaster risk reduction, we need an appropriate governance mechanism, which is the demarcation of coastal zones; the planning and development of regulation on the maintenance and utilization of coastal resources; sticking to the national, regional, and global policies and practices, etc. Community governance also becomes crucial when it comes to the management of local resources. Different types of technologies become important to support the implementation of a governance system. Traditional GIS (geographic information systems) and remote sensing have been used for several years to monitor coastal changes over time. Added to these are the emerging technologies and mobile applications. For example, drones can be used for monitoring coastal resources more closely. Mobile phone applications can be used to promote “citizen science” in engaging communities in a community governance system. This will also be linked to the education and awareness of people and communities, including school students. An educative mobile application for coastal schools can make a large difference in engaging school students, teachers, and their parents to be more interested in coastal risks and resources.

The key target is to make ourselves “responsible citizens” so that the current resource use does not compromise the future need for those resources. That is the key principle of “sustainable” development goals, and it would take the collective efforts of governance, education, and technology to make a difference.

Chapter 2

^☆Special Coastal Management Area Concept Experience in Sri Lanka

W.A. Nimal Sri Rajarathna*; K.W.G. Rekha Nianthi^{† ⁎} Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department, Colombo, Sri Lanka
^† Department of Geography, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The Special Coastal Management Area (SCMA) concept based on comanagement principles is considered to be an effective and viable approach for integrated coastal resources management in Sri Lanka. The strategy for integrated coastal resources management addresses the control of environmental degradation due to rapid development and restoration as well as the sustainable use of coastal resources to achieve specific development goals. In this manner, the SCMA concept is implemented as an “effective management tool” for the management of coastal resources by the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department (CC&CRMP) with active public participation in collaboration with relevant stakeholder agencies. This chapter is mainly focused on the lessons learned as well as the challenges and innovations for currently implemented SCMAs in Sri Lanka with fast experiences under three main areas: legal and institutional, effectiveness and impact, and sustainability and challenges. It has highlighted the importance of a new legal provision under the Coast Conservation (Amendment) Act No. 49 of 2011 and the specific guidelines for SCMA sites.

Keywords

Sri Lanka; Management; Effectiveness; Conservation; Sustainability; Participation; Challenges

Abbreviations

ADB Asian Development Bank

CC&CRMP Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department Plan

CRMP Coastal Resource Management Project

CBO Community Base Organization

CCC Community Coordinating Community

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization

GTZ German Technical Cooperation Agency

GEF-RUK Global Environment Facility-Rakawa, Ussangoda, Kalamatiya

HICZMP Hambanthota Integr...