Coastal and Marine Resources Management in Latin America and the Caribbean
By Michele H. Lemay (12/98, ENV-128, En, Es) See also Environment and Natural Resources
This paper presents the background research that supported the development of the Bank's formal strategy on this topic. The strategy for coastal and marine resources management was favorably considered by the Bank's Board of Directors on June 17, 1998 and is being published concurrently with this report.
The strategy provides new directions for Bank activities which significantly affect sustainable development of coastal and marine areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Calling for a renewed, more integrated approach, the strategy is intended to bring the Bank's interventions in sectors such as marine fisheries, tourism, maritime transport and pollution control in line with the fundamental objectives of the 8th Capital Replenishment. Looking beyond these sectoral considerations, the strategy highlights new opportunities for lending and non-lending support in line with the distinct character of coastal and marine areas, their evolving regulatory framework, and the responsibility shared by governments and coastal communities in the Region to manage them. The principles, elements of innovation and actions which are at the core of the strategy are designed to fill a void in the Bank's current policies in natural resources management.
Integrated coastal management is presented here as a broad, multi-purpose endeavor aimed at improving the quality of life of communities dependent on coastal resources and helping coastal states attain sustainable development from the headwaters of coastal watersheds to the outer limits of their exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Coastal management is a geographically-specific response which focuses on issues typical of coastal areas -- for example, depleted fisheries stocks, declining coastal water quality and conflicts between coastal uses. It combines participatory processes and techniques such as zoning, access restrictions, habitat management with monitoring and enforcement to achieve a balance between coastal uses based on a set of widely endorsed objectives for improving living conditions, safeguarding property and protecting coastal ecosystems.
One of the strategy's objectives is to assist the Region in establishing programs for the integrated management of coastal and marine areas tailored to social and economic priorities of coastal states. In doing so, the intent is to promote regional and national leadership in coastal management, create opportunities for innovation and adaptive learning in problem-solving, link coastal management to other aspects of sustainable development such as water resources management, and foster genuine commitment towards understanding and managing coastal and marine areas.
Last updated: 05/08/07
