Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management

Abstract

Review: Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management By Biliana Cicin-Sain and Robert W. Knecht Reviewed by Kenneth Carriveau Baylor University, USA Cicin-Sain, Biliana, & Robert W. Knecht. Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management: Concepts and Practices. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1998. 517 pp. ISBN 1-55963-603-3 (hardcover); 1-55963-604-1 (softcover). US$65.00 hardcover; US$32.50 softcover. Recycled, acid-free paper Integrated coastal and ocean management, more commonly referred to as simply integrated coastal management or ICM, is an extremely complex process that looks for a delicate balance between the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems and acceptable use of those resources to meet the needs of human society. Cicin-Sain and Knecht, who are co-directors of the University of Delaware’s Center for the Study of Marine Policy and, combined, have over 60 years of experience in academic and governmental development of marine use policy, have created a clear, concise guide to ICM that should help policy planners, community leaders, ecologists, and students navigate through the shoals towards a successful ICM plan. Readers should note that this publication is not a detailed how-to manual, but rather an introduction to the key concepts identified by various United Nations conferences and summits as essential to a successful ICM plan and a general description of how to incorporate these concepts into an ICM program. Readers should also note that ICM, as presented here, is not a substitute for single-sector resource management planning, but instead a means to ensure that the single-sector plans are complementary to each other. The development methodology presented is divisible into four distinct phases or parts, each of which is treated separately in the text. Part I: The Need for Integrated Coastal Management and Fundamental Concepts encompasses the first two chapters and includes discussions on what ICM means, what types of interactions and use conflicts exist that support the implementation of ICM, and what responsibilities and obligations are entailed in the development of an ICM plan. Phase One, in essence, is the process of evaluating current coastal marine development policies and determining whether a need exists to formulate an ICM. Chapters 3 and 4 comprise Part II: Evolution of International Prescriptions on ICM and discuss, in depth, the international legislative policies developed between the 1970s and early 1990s that form the foundation for modern ICM policy development. Particular attention is given to the UN Conference