| Policy Options: Message in a bottle
Notes on Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)
The Main premises of ICM
- Natural resources are finite and their use must be allocated prudently.
- Functional integrity of the resource systems must be protected.
- Resource management involves change of human perceptions and behaviour.
- Resolution of multiple-use conflicts needs a holistic approach through policy, management, and technical innovations.
- Planning and management processes are dynamic and should respond to ecological and socio-economic conditions and evolve with time.
- Management is most effective at the local level.
Principles Emanating from International Agreements
- the principle of integration,
- the principle of the right to develop,
- the precautionary principle,
- the polluter pays principle,
- the overarching goal of sustainable development, and
- the principle of inter- and intragenerational equity.
Principles Related to the Physical Nature of Coastal Areas
- Coastal areas are distinctive resource systems that require special management and planning approaches.
- Water is the major integrative force in coastal resource systems.
- Management must be integrated across the land - water boundary, due to the interactions that take place across the land - water interface.
- Conservation of land forms fronting on the water's edge is important for sustainability.
Operational Principles for Implementing ICM
- Adopt a systematic, incremental approach in developing and implementing ICM projects and programs.
- Involve the public in the ICM process.
- Integrate environmental, economic, and social information from the very beginning of the ICM process.
- Establish mechanisms for integration and cooperation.
- Establish sustainable financing mechanisms.
- Develop ICM capacity at all levels.
- Monitor the effectiveness of ICM projects and programs.
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