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Scottish Coastal Forum: Current ICZM initiatives: Spring 2004
From the Scottish Coastal Forum
Interest in integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) gathered pace in the UK during the early 1990s. A number of coastal partnerships started and a House of Commons Select Committee investigated "Coastal zone protection and planning". In part response to this, the Scottish Office prepared "Scotland's Coasts" in 1996 that outlined existing issues and mechanisms and made a number of recommendations, including:
The encouragement of local coastal fora to take forward integrated management of local coastal areas.
The creation of a Scottish Coastal Forum (SCF), bringing together representatives of bodies with a major interest in, or responsibility for, coastal issues to provide a national context for the work of local fora.
The preparation of a series of national guidance and advice publications, drawing upon the work and experience of the Scottish Coastal Forum and of the local coastal fora.
Definitions of ICZM are numerous and indicate that ICZM is designed to "join up" all the different policies which have an effect on the coastline. It is about both planning and management of coastal resources and covers the three pillars of sustainable development - economics, society and the environment. It is an ongoing process that will evolve over time, rather than a "one off" solution. It recognises that without co-ordination at all levels, efforts to provide sustainable management of the coast will only have limited success.
With the above in mind, SCF has worked, since it was established under independent chairmanship in 1996, to fulfil its terms of reference to:
Encourage a voluntary, sustainable and holistic approach to the management of Scotland's coasts through the formation of local coastal fora.
Act as the national focus for coastal issues and
co-ordinate the dissemination of advice on best practice.
Reflect views and aspirations of local fora for the coast of Scotland and guide a national policy framework within which local initiatives can operate.
Advise Government in the development of coastal policies for Scotland.
This has taken the form of responding to government consultation exercises, hosting seminars to debate topical issues (e.g. in 2002 this looked at extending planning beyond low water), disseminating information (through newsletter and website), commissioning research and working closely with the existing network of local coastal management partnerships and other coastal initiatives. All SCF documents are available on our website.
Two conclusions that need highlighting are:
Much is also underway at the national level.
SCF's most important work is drafting a coastal strategy that should provide a solid foundation for the work that Government will undertake to meet its European Union commitment. Many organisations have given their time to prepare information papers on the various coastal activities. These highlighted the nature of the activity, trends and issues within the sector and ways in which integration with others could be increased. In February 2003 SCF hosted a workshop to commence setting objectives for the coast to be included in the strategy. All the information and views gathered from this work have been used to pull together a draft strategy that will be finalised and forwarded to the Scottish Executive.
Captain AHF Wilks
Chairman
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