Oceans and Coasts

Oceans and Coasts

1. Coastal Perception

   • High levels of unemployment, drug addiction, teenage poverty, 'poverty attracting poverty'
   • Affluent areas, place to retire, aspire to e,g, Herne Bay

2. Where does the coast start + stop?

   • Physical boundaries
   • Administrative boundaries
   • Mapping boundaries
   • Crucial to management + ownership
     • Historically seen as global commons
     • Control in relation to naval power
     • Main management is trade
     • Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
       • Multiple sector use
       • Traditional top-down approach has been unsuccessful
       • Long term perspective
       • Participatory planning
         • Support + involvement of all administrative bodies
       • Specific solutions + flexible measures
       • Working with natural processes
       • UNCLOS III
         • 10 years to reach agreement
         • Addresses ocean pollution
         • Each country has a duty to protect oceans from pollution
       • Territorial Seas (12 nautical miles)
         • 'Innocent' passing ships allowed to pass.
       • Contiguous Zone (12 nautical miles)
         • Allows control migration, customs and pollution regulations.
       • Exclusive Economic Zone (200 miles from outer boundary)
         • Right to control resources e.g. fisheries, minerals and scientific research.
       • Continental Shelf (Max 350 miles from coast)
         • Obliged to protect marine environment. Exclusive mineral jurisdiction.
       • High Seas
         • Areas beyond national jurisdiction.   Generally open and free to all          countries not allowed to interfere with rights of others Sea bed ‘common heritage’ of humankind.Mineral resources – UN International Seabed Authority                                     

3. UK ownership

   • Local, national and EU law
   • National Trust owns 775 miles of coast
   • Foreshore + territorial seabed owned by the Crown

4. Coastal Sustainability

   • Relatively new phenomenon
   • Takes theoretical into practical
   • Political decision
   • Why does it matter?
     • Rich + threatened ecosystems
     • If well managed it could offer potential for future generations
   • Requires
     • Understanding of systems
     • How systems interact
     • Integrated management
     • Indicators of sustainability
       • Monitoring
     • Political will

5. Why are coastal areas unsustainable?

   • COASTAL PROBLEMS Physical: Sea level rise Increasing storms Increasing floods Cost of sea defences Pollution Human:Poor developmentIncreasing populations and densityMultiple usesResource use/exploitation
   • Climate change
   • Hazards
   • Economic pressures
   • Settlement patterns
   • Growing demographics
     • Lagos (Nigeria), Tokyo, Shanghai, Miami

6. IPAT Equation

   • I = P x A x T Impact = Population x Affluence x technology
   • View of sustainability depends on faith technology
   • Science has tended to exceed expectations

7. Problem + ecosystem loss

   • UK habitat loss
   • Global ecosystem loss e,g, Mangroves (50% loss since 1900, 35% in last 25 years)
     • Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras - rapid growth in shrimp aquaculture
   • Coral Reefs
     • Hold 75% of marine life
     • Great Barrier Reef
       • Climate change, human exploitation, storms, diseases, coral bleaching and crown of thorn starfish.