Regional Resource Document

The regional resource document (RRD) for coastal spatial planning describes management approaches in existing spatial planning systems, and outlines the application of the general spatial planning process at different scales, administrative levels and degree of complexity. References of methods, tools and information sources are provided. The user can navigate progressively through the various sequential steps, or skip to sections relevant to his needs.

Conditions for adoption elsewhere:

  • Full support and commitment from national governments and authorities of each participating country for coastal and marine spatial planning

Coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) is multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary and consequently requires commitment and cooperation of various ministries and authorities at different governmental levels. To bringing all stakeholders together for discussing and agreeing on related matters is a challenge that can be successfully addressed through national consultations and trainings. These measures also encourage cross-learning and team building; it enhances cooperation, coordination and dialogue between and among themselves. Continuous support and cooperation of national authorities clears the way forward.

National Assessment of coastal Vulnerability
National assessment - situation analysis - of coastal vulnerability provides a detailed overview of the states of erosion applying a standardised format agreed by all participating countries. It includes relevant policies, legal and institutional mechanisms, gaps and needs and interventions pertinent for addressing coastal erosion at national and sub-national levels. Priorities for action (pilot interventions) to be implemented by governments are defined.
Conditions for adoption elsewhere: • Awareness and recognition of the problem of coastal erosion and sea-level rise and the importance and value of national assessments to address the problem. • Full support and commitment from national governments and authorities including development partners.
Coastal erosion management involves a range of ministries and authorities at various governmental levels. Bringing them all together to discuss and agree on the assessment reports and pilot interventions is quite a challenge which was addressed by the project through national consultations. National reports assessing the national setting and the magnitude of the problem of coastal erosion will serve as a major reference in the development of new or updating of existing national plans, policies, strategies and programs on integrated coastal management at national and local levels. With identified specific capacity building activities and pilot interventions, the national reports could be integrated into a regional report which could later be used in the development of future regional programmes for coastal erosion management for regional implementation.
Awareness Campaigns
Tailor made awareness campaigns inform and sensitise the target community on climate change, its impacts and effects on livelihoods. These campaigns support the community to find ways how to better adapt and cope with natural disasters. The community engages in discussions and participates in the design of actions needed and thus to lay the groundwork of a joint project.
Conditions for adoption elsewhere: • A community depending on cultivation. • Knowledge on natural disasters menacing the community. • Data on the community’s socio-economic and natural resource conditions. • Preparedness of the community to engage in a joint project and its activities. • Support to initiate the process.
It is important to ensure that women and any other marginalized groups have equal rights and access to information and are fully included in the awareness campaign. For a successful campaign it is also desirable that cohesion exists between community members irrespective of religion, caste or any other factor, thus warranting access to social capital.
Vulnerability Assessment
This assessment helps to identify the physical and socio-economic vulnerabilities of the island’s communities. Topographic surveys identify low-lying areas that are particularly prone to coastal flooding and feed into a Geographical Information System (GIS). According to these baseline data, data on soil and salinity is collected at representative sample sites to identify appropriate salt-tolerant paddy varieties, fish and prawn species.
Successful construction depends on results from: • Support and technical expertise for surveys and geographical information system; • Salt resistant indigenous paddy, and fish and shrimp varieties must have a market value to ensure income for the community.
Disaster risks and preparedness of the community must take into account not only physical factors but also socio-economic and cultural factors. Vulnerability assessments provide the obligatory baseline data and information to effectively design and implement projects and activities at the most vulnerable locations. They provide the input to design projects with a socio-economically and culturally appropriate approach. The adoption of a participatory approach for scheduling and implementation of data collection by project staff and scientists helps to establish a good relationship based on transparency, trust and dialogue with the target group, particularly farmers.
Code of Conduct
The Green Fins Code of Conduct (CoC) outlines 15 actions or environmental activities that target environmental threats caused by the dive industry both on land and under water to help dive centres and individual divers to reduce their impact on reefs. The approach provides a practical system to encourage dive centres to implement a set of guidelines providing clear industry standards for environmentally responsible practices, and to promote marine environmental awareness.
• An active dive and/or snorkel industry with dives being conducted on coral reefs and/or associated ecosystems. • Dive and/or snorkel centres with a certain awareness on environmental issues related to the industry and a willingness to participate and address environmental threats caused by the industry.
The Code of Conduct covers 15 fairly broad environmental practices within the diving industry. However, through application the comprehensive criteria allow the Green Fins approach to include both common challenges as well as adapting to include locally specific challenges. Solutions to common challenges such as diver behaviour management can transferred between dive destinations. Through its multi-stakeholder approach, solutions to locally specific threats can be addressed by the Green Fins network on a local level. For example, a small recyclable collection company in the Maldives was recently identified by the Green Fins network and is now being promoted to dive centres nationally.
Rapid Appraisal of a Fisheries Management System (RAFMS)
The RAFMS approach was adopted to complement the PDAM in the participatory diagnosis. RAFMS focuses on fisheries management systems and considers the broader context of socio-economic, biophysical, and institutional dimensions. Results indicate five crucial issues to be addressed by IBAMO: (1) depleted fishery resources and low fish catch; (2) degraded fishery habitats; (3) lack of alternative livelihood; (4) limited institutional capabilities including lack of effective fisheries monitoring program; (5) lack of harmonization of fisheries laws and ordinances.
• Stakeholders active participation in the stakeholder consultation; results from participatory diagnosis
To verify the collected data, the summary and highlights of the results were presented and validated through a Stakeholder Consultation with participants of relevant provincial/city/municipal executives and key officials of Misamis Occidental.
Participatory Diagnosis and Adaptive Management (PDAM)
The PDAM framework begins with a phase of diagnosis to define the fishery to be managed and to identify the specific issues to be addressed. Key tasks within the diagnosis phase include: (1) defining the fishery boundaries; (2) identifying fishery-specific challenges and opportunities (past, present & future); (3) prioritizing issues, (4) scoping potential management solutions.
• Stakeholders deliberately consider who should be included in adaptive management.
Mobilizing a management constituency that is best placed to address the threats and opportunities identified in the diagnosis phase is an essential step in legitimizing the EAF and increasing the potential for its success. Adaptive management then involves the negotiated design of integrated EAF and their subsequent implementation and assessment though IBAMO.
Vulnerability assessment

Suitable sites are identified and prioritized based on the potential of successful mangrove rehabilitation to reduce vulnerability in the face of climate change. In the case of Silonay, mangrove rehabilitation was identified as a solution to storm surge vulnerability.

  • Existence of remaining mangrove areas;
  • Technical know-how and funding from NGO partners;
  • Community and local government awareness of ecosystem services benefits of mangroves and other marine resources.

People who benefit from the habitats, species and sites (and the services they provide) should be involved in managing them and making decisions about the project. Vulnerability assessments should be done at both, the municipal and village level. Results of vulnerability assessments should be disseminated to key local and national policy makers and local chief executives and community leaders so they can take action to address key vulnerabilities.

Ecosystem-based Spatial Analysis and Planning
Ecosystem functions and services of all relevant coastal and marine systems have been identified by various experts. Environmental and socio-economic profiles of the area were analyzed and spatially projected into thematic maps. Ecosystem-based management was applied in the process to integrate land, coastal and marine systems. Areas for economic activities as well as protected zones for coral reefs, mangroves and estuaries have been defined as a result of this process.
• sufficient and sustainable funding and commitments from government and parliament
The integration of both land and marine spatial planning can only be achieved if the principles of ICM and ecosystem based management are well understood by governmental officers, parliament members and local communities. However, it takes much longer than originally thought to approach the local government, and to convince local people and parliament members of the benefits.
A. Damar
Integrated Spatial Plan.
A. Damar
Multi-sectorial Stakeholder Committee
In the Bontang City area, intensive economic activities in the coastal zone include human settlements, power plants, oil and gas industries, ports, aquaculture, marine transportation, fisheries and tourism. In the committee, key persons from all stakeholder groups were selected based on willingness to cooperate and openness to new experiences. Together with a group of enthusiastic mid-level governmental staff, they participated in a series of meetings and discussions to address spatial conflicts of economic use and environmental protection.
• Interested and available local government members, part of them had been trained in Integrated Coastal Zone Management, being aware of the problems • Support from Bontang City Major • Good communication between private sector and government • NGO in the area • Continuous support from local people and local government to the process
- The role of Champion (in this case major and head of local government development agency) is very important in the success of this process and implementation - Good coordination and communication among the involved stakeholders are very crucial. Private sectors, local people, NGO, local government and local parliaments are the key stakeholders.. - Local parliament roles are very important, especially during the process of legal adoption of this spatial planning into a legalized-binding document and regulation. - Adoption process into legalized document of spatial planning is very important step to be a starting point of the implementation of this spatial planning.