2B.12A Littoral Cells and ICZM
Coastal management increasingly uses the concept of littoral cells to manage extended areas of coastline. Throughout the world, countries are developing schemes that are sustainable and use holistic ICZM strategies.
ICZM is coastal management planning over the long term, involving all stakeholders, working with natural processes and using 'adaptive management', i.e. changing plans as threats change.
ICZM is a holistic approach used to manage coasts. It dates from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and has a number of key characteristics:
ICZM works with the concept of littoral cells, or sediment cells. These contain sediment sources, transport paths (flows) and sinks. Each littoral cell is isolated from adjacent cells, and can be managed as a holistic unit.
The coastline can be divided up into littoral cells and each cell managed as an integrated unit.
ICZM is coastal management planning over the long term, involving all stakeholders, working with natural processes and using 'adaptive management', i.e. changing plans as threats change.
ICZM is a holistic approach used to manage coasts. It dates from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and has a number of key characteristics:
- The entire coastal zone is managed, not just the narrow zone where breaking waves cause erosion and flooding. This includes all ecosystems, resources and human activity in the zone.
- It recognises the importance of the coastal zone to people's livelihoods as, globally, very large numbers of people live and work at the coast - but their activities tend to degrade the coastal environment.
- It recognises that management of the coast must be sustainable, meaning that economic development has to take place to improve the quality of life of people but that this means to be environmentally appropriate at equitable.
ICZM works with the concept of littoral cells, or sediment cells. These contain sediment sources, transport paths (flows) and sinks. Each littoral cell is isolated from adjacent cells, and can be managed as a holistic unit.
The coastline can be divided up into littoral cells and each cell managed as an integrated unit.
- In England and Wales there are 11 sediment cells.
- Each cell is managed either as a whole unit or a sub-unit.
- In both cases a plan called a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is used.
- The SMP area is further divided into sub-cells.
- SMPs extend across council boundaries, so many councils must work together on an agreed SMP to manage an extended stretch of coastline.