Building up a training base for integrated coastal management through partnerships in Xiamen

Abstract

The Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) project in Xiamen, which started in the mid-1990s, is considered a successful example of ICM implementation. Now on its second cycle, the project has achieved significant results and received positive feedback from various international organizations. ICM, in general, has proven to be a workable environmental management scheme, and it has been replicated elsewhere in China and in other countries. However, it should be noted that ICM programs need to employ strategies aimed at strengthening human resources and institutional capacities. This paper discusses the establishment of the International Training Center for Coastal Sustainable Development and its role in disseminating the experiences and expertise of the Xiamen ICM site, the advancement of public education on ICM with the implementation of the Community-Based Conservation Management Cooperative Program of the Canadian International Development Agency; and the expansion of professional education in ICM through a Joint Masters Program in Environmental Management with the University of San Francisco. These three programs have been highly successful in developing ICM capacities at different levels (i.e. awareness of policymakers, public awareness and professional education), and they contribute to the formulation, design and implementation of successful ICM initiatives. As such, the formulation and implementation of partnerships in education programs are deemed crucial for Xiamen's success and in its role as one of the training bases for ICM in East Asia.