Integrated management strategy for the coastal development program of Jiangsu Province
Abstract
The development in the coastal area of Jiangsu Province is still managed on a sectoral basis. This low level management method causes huge wastes of natural resources, fosters intense competition between different sectors for limited natural resources and space, and results in conflicts between different interests groups, over exploitation and even depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution and ecosystem degradation. With the development of the national economy, the coastal development activities will be greater in number and broader in scope. There will be more conflicts between different sectors, between exploitation and resources conservation, between development and environment protection. Thus, to establish a high level integrated management system based on the overall development objectives is an urgent task needed to solve these problems and achieve sustainable development. This paper introduced existing geographical advantages, natural resources and coastal environmental conditions, marine industry status, related laws and institutions in the coastal area, and the sustainable development concept and the integrated coastal zone management theory; discussed the proposed coastal development project of Jiangsu Province; identified and analyzed main problems including infavorable socio-economic factors, existing conflicts and their adverse impacts on sustainable development; suggested an integrated coastal zone management system, including a series of strategies that should be incorporated into an integral system, an evaluation mechanism to monitor and evaluate the performance of the management strategies and a set of principles to build a capacity within the region for sustainable development practices that will promote beneficial economic activities in the coastal area of Jiangsu Province.