Improving coastal and marine resources management through a co-management approach: a case study of Pakistan

Abstract

Co-management is a system in which resource management responsibilities are shared between the state and user groups. Various national and provincial-level governments separately manage resources along the coastal and marine areas of Pakistan. The country’s existing policy framework is devoid of an integrated management approach, where the participation of real stakeholders in the decision-making process is either disregarded or missing. Therefore, the present study highlights the internal and external constraints of coastal and marine resources management issues in Pakistan and discourses the problems that halt the participation of stakeholders in the decision-making process. This research also confers the potential of a co-management framework through which the coastal and marine resources management structure can be organized to deliver local sustainability in the country. The adoption of a co-management approach in Pakistan’s coastal and marine areas would help to improve the protection and conservation of natural resources via share-based responsibility. Additionally, it provides a baseline to coastal and marine planners in the country to adopt share-based responsibility for resources management to mimic the conflicts amongst users to the environment, and those affected by the decisions can agree to understand or accept common intertwined resources.