Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategies on Small Islands

Abstract

CALADO, H., QUINTELA, A. and PORTEIRO, J., 2007 Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategies on Small Islands. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 50 (Proceedings of the 9 th International Coastal Symposium), 125 - 129. Gold Coast, Australia, ISSN 0749.0208 In 2002 the European Parliament and Council indicated the general principles and options for an Integrated Coastal Management Strategy for Europe (Recommendation 2002/413/CE). In 2005, due to the lack of contributions by each State member, the European Council invited all the EU countries to establish the ground rules for that strategy by presenting the national efforts on the field and by establishing their one Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategies (ICZMS). The document had a deadline of February 2006. The National Strategies then presented are now being evaluated. What is proposed in this paper is not a quantitative structured analysis but a comprehensive one applied to small islands. For sure we know that small islands problems and needs are different from the mainland countries. So, is there a true need for ICZM guidelines with a scale and operational contexts often applied to larger territories? Are there specific features to small island ICZM Strategies? Based on the analysis of the Macaronesian Archipelagos of Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands the discussion is presented and some conclusions are drawn.