The difficult road to Integrated Coastal Zone Management implementation in Italy: Evidences from the Italian North Adriatic Regions

Highlights

• We considered the evolution of ICZM concepts implementation in four Italian North Adriatic Regions.

• A web-based survey was developed and addressed to local and regional authorities competent over coastal management.

• The findings of the study are presented and compared with other ICZM experiences in different countries.

• The study shows that in the considered area, ICZM concepts are still far from being widely adopted.

Abstract

This work examines the evolution of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) concepts implementation in the Italian North Adriatic Regions: Marche, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia between 2006 and 2011. In order to achieve such an objective a web-based survey has been realized and addressed to the different local and regional authorities that are competent, with different status and legal powers over coastal management. The study shows that in the considered area, although some improvements have been recorded, thanks to the transposition into the Italian legislative framework of EU provisions and above all, to local and regional efforts and initiatives, ICZM concepts are still far from being widely adopted. The weakest points reported are the fragmentation and poor coordination of the coastal management framework; the low attention given to economic data monitoring and stakeholders involvement. Furthermore, the lack of political support in the medium-long term and the availability of funds as well as the absence of monitoring and assessment strategies hinder the establishment of sustainable ICZM practices in the area. The findings of the study are then compared with other Countries, in order to draw conclusions on the barriers to ICZM implementation.

Introduction

Art. 2 of Madrid Protocol defines Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) as “[ … ] a dynamic process for the sustainable management and use of coastal zones, taking into account at the same time the fragility of coastal ecosystems and landscapes, the diversity of activities and uses, their interactions, the marine orientation of certain activities and uses and their impact on both the marine and land parts”. ICZM is considered to be an integrated approach for the sustainable management of coastal zones. As a process of political, social and organisational change regarding the way natural resources are managed and different coastal uses are harmonized, it embraces a set of principles, approaches and tools aimed to overcome problems caused by traditional short-sighted sectoral approaches and policies (Commission of the European Communities, 1995, Commission of the, 2000, Haynes and Potschin, 2011, Kildow, 1997, Sorensen, 1993, Sorensen, 1997, Vallega, 1999).

The key elements of ICZM are: a) the acknowledgement of the relationships between ecosystems, socio-economic and political systems; b) the role of coordination and cooperation between different administrative bodies; c) the integration of spatial scales in the management process; d) the integration of disciplines in representing problems and in finding out solutions; e) the role of adaptive management and iterative process; f) the importance of public participation; g) the need for a long term strategic view in considering the evolution of coastal systems; h) the adoption of a mix of different instruments (spatial planning, management programs, environmental education and communication, economic instruments) in order to achieve the intended outcome.

However, while ICZM can be regarded as a more comprehensive and systemic approach compared to sectoral perspectives, in addressing the need for sustainability of coastal zones, the difficulties to translate the concepts into practice and to assess their effectiveness is still a critical point. The risk for ICZM is to be restrained to a set of recommendations and suggestions that are very complex and difficult to be translated into every-day environmental management practice (Clayton and O'Riordan, 1996, Commission, 2007a).

Many reasons are usually advocated for this: the huge pressure for economic exploitation in coastal areas, in particular for tourism development; historical reliance upon sectoral perspectives in the organization of environmental management and consequently, resistance by established organizations towards the possible redistribution of funds, human resources, powers, and eventually status that can be brought about by ICZM efforts; limited participation of vested interests, which very often results in poor legitimacy of decisions, with resistance and boycott actions from private actors; inappropriate planning systems and difficulty to integrate different perspectives, both geographical and thematic; bureaucratic burdens, lack of coordination and low level of cooperation between those public agents that have jurisdiction over the coastal zone; weak political support and poor long-term financial commitment by different levels of governments; conflicting visions and interests regarding the management of coastal and marine resources; the difficult translation of new concepts (such as ecosystem-based management and ecosystem approach) into day-by-day administrative culture and practices; etc. (McKenna and Cooper, 2006, McKenna et al., 2008, Olsen et al., 1997, Portman et al., 2012, Shipman and Stojanovic, 2007, Suarez de Vivero and Rodriguez Mateos, 2005).

At European level great emphasis has been placed in recent time on measuring progress in ICZM implementation. In particular, on the basis of document “Measuring Progress in the Implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management – Guidance notes for completing the Progress Indicator”, realized by the Working Group on Indicator and Data (WG-ID, 2004) in accordance to Recommendation 2002/413/EC, several surveys and stocktaking efforts have been undertaken (Breton et al., 2006, EU, 2004, European Parliament, 2002, Pickaver et al., 2004, UNESCO, 2006). A common characteristic of these surveys is the focus on the national level of coastal management. The focus on the National level of implementation is justified by the acknowledgement that national government's commitment is a basic precondition for effectively promoting and implementing ICZM principles, approaches, and tools; moreover, to focus on the national level of government helped to clarify how the Recommendation 2002/413/EC was applied in different EU countries. However, these surveys do not help to understand whether ICZM concepts are adopted at the different levels of environmental planning and management. In addition, they do not contribute to record the feedbacks of those who, with different legal competences and at various level of government, deal with coastal management.

Against this background the paper examines whether ICZM approaches, initiatives, plans and programs are progressing in the Italian North Adriatic Regions, ranging from South to North (Marche, Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia). In particular it sheds light on the ways the promotion of ICZM practices and instruments is addressed in North Adriatic coastal regions and the main actions that have been recently adopted to sustain ICZM efforts. Furthermore, it evaluates the progress in the implementation of ICZM measures in the considered area, as well as the main conditioning factors that still hamper the adoption of more integrated approaches in coastal management.