Integrated Coastal Management for the Severn Estuary Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

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Integrated Coastal Management for the Severn
EstuaryBetween the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

• Peter Burbridge
• Professor Emeritus for Coastal Management
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne

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Integrated Coastal Management

• Background -CRM to ICM
• Coastal Management Issues
• Coastal Partnerships
• ICM a Process- not an end in itself
• Where are we in the ICM Process
• How will the ICM Process develop
• Conclusions

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Background -CRM to ICM

• Coastal Resources Management (CRM)
• Late 1960s California Coastal Management Act (CM)
• USA Federal Coastal Zone Management Act- an
  enabling mechanism (CZM)
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management- (ICZM)
• UK House of Commons Select Committee
• EU Recommendation on ICZM
• Integrated Coastal Management-(ICM) focus on
  adaptive management and problem solving

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LGA- Issues

• Climate Change- increasing natural and
  man-induced hazards
• 5 of the UK population and 1.5 (2,200 km2) are
  at risk from flooding from the sea (lands below 5
  m OD) 50 of all grade agricultural land is
  below this level.
• Shoreline Management
• Agricultural Select Committee (1998) We are of
  the opinion that flood and coastal defence policy
  cannot be sustained if it continues to be founded
  on substantial human intervention in the normal
  processes of flooding and erosion.
• Special needs of peripheral coastal areas
• Changing nature of tourism and recreation-decline
  of the seaside resort, high unemployment.
• High proportion of residents above pensionable
  age, out-migration of young and economically
  active groups.

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Issues

• Changing structure of the coastal economy
• Decline of fisheries
• Role of ports and harbours changing
• ? Of future of oil and gas- growth in windfarms
• Reduction in employment in defense related jobs
  and land uses
• Coast is attractive to newer forms of high-tech
  industry and services
• Land Sea Interface and sectoral approaches
• Planning competence stops at low water mark
• LAs have broad range of statutory and
  non-statutory responsibilities for managing
  coastal activities
• -e.g Beach cleaning-costs 100,000 per year for
  Western-super-Mare. England and Wales cost of
  14 million per annum.
• By default Local Government and Coastal
  Partnerships are taking the lead in planning for
  sustainable use of coastal areas. Innovative
  coastal management relies mainly on voluntary
  efforts-Severn Estuary Forum
• LGA Coastal Strategy Calls upon Central
  Government to provide policy guidance, technical
  support and adequate funding to support ICM

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UK COASTAL MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIPS

• Primary objective- to bring together key agencies
  and stakeholders from different economic sectors
  to address issues affecting the sustainable use
  of coastal areas
• Lessons Learned
• Strong public involvement is essential
• Strategy and projects designed to tackle issues
  at a local level that produce positive results
  quickly are important in boosting confidence and
  trust
• An active and enthusiastic chairperson essential

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Lessons learned

• Effective information dissemination and
  consultation are very important
• Significant advances towards more integrated
  planning and management of coastal areas and
  resources have been achieved through
  Partnerships.
• Maintaining continuity of core funding remains a
  major issue in all of the Partnerships.
• Lack of Statutory authority limits implementation

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ICM a Process- not an end in itself

• There is no Golden Rule or universal framework
  for promoting ICM.
• Basic stages-
• Awareness
• Dialogue between interested and affected parties
• Cooperation
• Coordination
• Integrated policies,complementary sectoral agency
  mandates, supporting legal instruments,
  appropriate financial support

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ICZM An Iterative Process
Review and Adaptation
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Inception
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2
2
5
Implementation
Design
5
3
Funding
3
Approval
4
4
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Two lessons that need to be understood by Policy
Makers, Planners, Managers and stakeholders

• First, that the establishment of a coastal
  management process takes a considerable amount of
  time and commitment
• Second, that it is sometimes better to build upon
  a modest but sound foundation than to risk
  failure or loss of confidence through being
  over-ambitious.

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Where are we in the ICM Process

• EU Recommendation
• UK Stocktake
• LGA Strategy
• Lessons learned from Coastal Partnerships
• The UK Policy Framework or Vacuum
• Between the devil and the Deep Blue Sea
• Reliance on Land Use Planning
• Marine Bill-
• Continuing Sectoral approaches
• No Strategic Vision

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How will the ICM Process develop

• EU Recommendation
• Water Framework Directive
• How will Coastal Management fit between Marine
  Bill and revised Town and Country Planning system
  ?
• Move towards Integrated River Basin, Coastal and
  Marine management

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Conclusions

• Developing ICM for the Severn Estuary will take
  time and determination
• It remains to be seen how effective EU or Central
  Government Policies and Technical support will be
  in helping to sustain the Severn Estuary
  Partnership
• In the absence of a Joined up Policy Framework
  the Severn Estuary initiative will need to drive
  the ICM process from River Basin to the Sea.
• ICM is a creative planning tool for working
  towards Sustainable Development- The Devil is in
  the Detail!