From a battleground to a common ground : the experience of integrated coastal management in Xaimen, China with the International Training Centre for Coastal Sustainable Development

Abstract

Coastal regions of the world are a piece of precious land-and-sea interface, rich in natural resources and biodiversity, and yet the most complex and controversial, where conflicting interests and demands are constantly at play. Overpopulated coasts, use struggles over confined space, territorial and fishing disputes, transboundary marine pollution and degraded coastal ecosystems all suggest there is a thirst for better solutions to coastal development and management. These problems are no exception in the region of Asia Pacific, where unprecedented economic growth seen throughout the past few decades has posed an even greater threat to its already alarming coastal environment. The approach of integrated coastal management (ICM) considers the interconnectedness of the environment and development, underlies the significance of horizontal and vertical integration at various levels, encourages the participation of the local coastal community and obeys the ecosystem-based guiding principles to foster sustainable coastal development and management. This report presents a case study of Xiamen from personal working experience with the International Training Centre for Coastal Sustainable Development under UNDP/GEF/IMO, documenting the development outcomes as a result of the ICM implementation, and illustrating its capacity building efforts through ICM training programs offered to neighbouring coastal nations. In addition, the study discusses the shifting paradigm in the relationships between environment and development, while urging the greater need for partnership building and multilateral cooperation in international environmental development.