Integrated coastal management: Top–down vs. community-based approaches

Published Date
September 2008, Vol.88(4):796–804, doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.04.014

Author 
Fabio Zagonari ^,

• Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche, Facoltà di Economia (sede di Rimini), Università di Bologna, via Angherà 22, 47900 Rimini, Italy

Received 24 October 2005. Revised 17 April 2007. Accepted 20 April 2007. Available online 12 June 2007.

Abstract

In this paper, a dynamic model is developed in which coastal quality can be improved, restored, or maintained by two distinct user groups; this is done by identifying a context that ensures an increase (or a greater increase) in coastal quality in terms of specific features that characterise the user groups. The results demonstrate that integrated coastal management is always better than non-integrated management. Moreover, when there is a low degree of interest in maintaining the coastal use over time, only integrated community-based (CB) coastal management will increase the coastal quality. Even when the interest in maintaining the coastal use over time is high, an integrated CB approach is preferred if the willingness to pay for coastal improvements is great and the marginal inefficiency of investments in coastal improvements is low, because the coastal quality improves to a greater extent; if not, only an integrated top–down (TD) approach to coastal management will increase the coastal quality. These results suggest that developing countries should always adopt a CB approach; in contrast, developed countries should adopt a CB approach where local stakeholders attach direct values to the coastal quality, and adopt a TD approach where the general population attaches indirect (option or existence) values to coastal quality.

Keywords

Integrated coastal management

Top–down approach

Community-based approach

Dynamic economic model

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