The Ahupua'a concept: relearning coastal resource management from ancient Hawaiians

Isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii was one of the last areas to be reached by "western" explorers; as a consequence, some ancient traditions were preserved in Hawaii well into the 19th and 20th centuries, providing an opportunity to learn from a surviving indigenous culture. An account is given of the division of the islands into various units and their exploitation. The smallest major divisions were the "ahupua'as," which spread out at the base along the shore and were self-sufficient units. In this way the ancient Hawaiians recognized the relationship between the land and sea, rainfall and vegetation, nutrients and runoff and preserved the integrity of the delicately balanced ecosystem of which they were a part and upon which they relied for their every need. Modern parallels to this ancient system are broken and irregular; the reorganization of the "ahupua'a" system marked the beginning of the decline of Hawaiian ecosystems. Although steps are being taken to remedy the present situation, Hawaii now ranks among the highest in the nation for its levels of pollution, endangered species and disappearing habitats. More and more, the model for improved management is being sought in the revival of ancient traditions.

Community-based coastal resource management in Orion (Bataan, Philippines) : building community property rights in a fishing community

The Community-based Coastal Resource Management Project in Orion, Bataan, Philippines was started in 1991. The village level fishers organizations have formed a municipal-wide association called the Samahan at Ugnayan ng Pangisdaan sa Orion (SUGPO). It represents 70% of the small-scale fishers in Orion and has taken on the task of rehabilitating the degraded fishing grounds. The experience in Orion indicates that coastal resource management can be successful if the fishers have ownership of the program and the costs and benefits of the program are distributed equally in a manner acceptable to them.

An idealized rural coastal zone management integrating land and water use

Various countries have formulated special integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) strategies which seek to both manage development and conserve natural resources and integrate and coordinate the relevant people sectors and their functions and roles within the bounds of this rich realm. Concerns that may be addressed by ICZM include: 1) Natural resources degradation; 2) Pollution; 3) Land use conflicts; and, 4) Destruction of life and property by natural hazards. Some prevalent sources of environmental impacts (livelihoods) are listed, together with some recommendations to the concerns which they may raise in relation to coastal zone management: agriculture; aquaculture; fisheries; forestry; human settlements; tourism; and, transport industry.

Climate change, sea level rise and integrated coastal zone management: An IPCC approach

Expansion of economic activities, urbanisation, increased resource use and population growth are continuously increasing the vulnerability of the coastal zone. This vulnerability is now further raised by the threat of climate change and accelerated sea level rise. The potentially severe impacts force policy-makers to also consider long-term planning for climate change and sea level rise. For reasons of efficiency and effectiveness this long-term planning should be integrated with existing short-term plans, thus creating an Integrated Coastal Zone Management programme. As a starting point for coastal zone management, the assessment of a country's or region's vulnerability to accelerated sea level rise is of utmost importance. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has developed a common methodology for this purpose. Studies carried out according to this Common Methodology have been compared and combined, from which general conclusions on local, regional and global vulnerability have been drawn, the latter in the form of a Global Vulnerability Assessment. In order to address the challenge of coping with climate change and accelerated sea level rise, it is essential to foresee the possible impacts, and to take precautionary action. Because of the long lead times needed for creating the required technical and institutional infrastructures, such action should be taken in the short term. Furthermore, it should be part of a broader coastal zone management and planning context. This will require a holistic view, shared by the different institutional levels that exist, along which different needs and interests should be balanced.

Essential elements of integrated coastal zone management

The coastal zone comprises a narrow strip of coastal lowlands and a vast area of coastal waters. While the coastal zone represents approximately 10% of the earth's surface, its coastal lowlands are inhabited by more than 50% of the world population. The coastal zone has become the major site for extensive and diverse economic activities. Many of the coastal developing countries depend heavily on the scarce coastal resources for their economic growth.