Coastal Management North Africa

CoastNet’s Introductory Online Guide to…

Coastal Management in the Mediterranean coasts of North Africa and the

Middle East

CoastNet’s Introductory Guide to… Coastal Management in the Mediterranean coasts of North Africa and the Middle East

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Coastal Management in the Mediterranean coasts of North Africa and the Middle East

Table of contents

1. WHY USE THIS GUIDE 1.A. Introduction (page 3) 1.B. A snapshot of the area (page 3) 1.C. The Mediterranean: bridges to be built (page 4)

2. DECIDING WHAT COMES FIRST 2.A. The big coastal issues (page 6)

a. A closer look at the main issues in Morocco (page 8) b. A closer look at the main issues in Egypt (page 9)

2.B. Response through policy and practice (page 13)

a. A joint response to Mediterranean coastal issues: protocols and practice (page 13) b. From international protocols to national structures, policy and plans: the Case of Morocco (page 14) c. From international practices to national policy and practice: the case of the North West coast of Egypt (page 16)

3. LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: ORGANISATIONS AND

INSTRUMENTS SUPPORTING ICZM 3.A. International (page 18) 3.B. Transnational (page 23) 3.C. National (page 26)

4. LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: INSPIRATION and GOOD

PRACTICES (page 24) 4.A. Good practice resources: general (page 27) 4.B. Good practice resources: by issues (page 28) 4.C. Good practice examples: by countries (page 29 ) 4.D. Examples of good practice at national level: ICZM projects in Morocco (page 30)

5. LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: ICZM RESEARCH, CAPACITY

BUILDING and GOVERNANCE (page 32) 5.A. Insight and examples of current trends in Coastal Management research and capacity building (page 32) Case Study recommendations for Matruh (North West Coast of Egypt) 5.B. Insight and examples of current trends in Governance in Coastal Management (page 35) Case Study recommendations for Amsa (North Coast of Morocco)


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1. WHY USE THIS GUIDE 1.A.INTRODUCTION Coastal zones are characterised by a multitude of potentially and actually conflicting uses, typically managed by sectoral bodies with overlapping responsibilities and jurisdictions. Consequently, the integrated management of coastal zones (ICZM) is both necessary and difficult, and was recognised, therefore, as a priority area for action by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The importance of the Mediterranean as an international sea, its situation between three continents, and the extent of threats to its environmental quality from pollution and coastal urbanisation have resulted in complex institutional arrangements for international support in the coastal regions of North Africa and the Middle East. An added complexity is in the relationship between Arab and Western systems and institutions of governance. For the individual government official or community leader this must present a complex picture, one which confuses rather than clarifies the way forward for sustainable development at a practical level. This guide from CoastNet aims to make sense of the international framework, highlighting important recent developments, and making proposals to further improve cooperation and implementation of integrated coastal management. 1.B. A SNAPSHOT OF THE AREA In this guide we have focused on Northern Africa and Middle East Mediterranean countries, these are addressed in the latest review of the Plan Bleu (2006) as the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries (from Morocco to Turkey) as opposed to the Northern Mediterranean Countries (from Spain to Greece, including Cyprus and Malta). Within Northern Africa and Middle East we find yet another geographical, and to a certain extent, cultural division in two recognized regions: Maghreb and Mashriq. Figure 1: Maghreb and Mashriq

Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania) Mashriq (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Arabian Peninsula,

etc.)

Regional Situation Analysis of the Mediterranean: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/regional_situation_analysis.pdf

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Millenium Development Goals update for each country http://www.undp.org/mdg/tracking_countryreports2.shtml

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2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development http://www.un.org/jsummit/html/basic_info/basicinfo.html WSSD on Coastal management: Paragraph 30 in http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N02/636/93/PDF/N0263693.pdf?OpenElement

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To summarise the social, economic and environmental development of these countries we have included the following table (Table 1) . In order to develop two representative case studies we selected the two nations with the longest coastlines and worst social and economical situation: Egypt and Morocco. Table 1: Comparative table of North Africa and Middle East nations population, coastline and social, economic and environmental indicators

Country Population (WB, 03)

Length coastline (CIA, 03)

HDI 1 ranking 2007

GDP 2 2005 and ranking

ESI 3

Libya 5.5 million 1770 km 56 8400 (53) 126

Tunisia 9.8 million 1148 km 91 3000 (92) 55

Algeria 3.2 million 998 km 104 3400 (85) 96

Egypt 66.4 million 2450 km 112 1500 (115) 115

Morocco 29.6 million 1835 km 126 1900 (110) 105

Syria 17 million 193 km 108 1700 (113) 117

Lebanon 4.4 million 225 km 88 4170 (HDR, 2004)

129

Sources: World Bank; UNEP; CIA Factbook, 2003; JRC; World Economic Forum

1.C. THE MEDITERRANEAN: BRIDGES TO BE BUILT

The recent history of cooperation in the Mediterranean region began after the second world war, first with political and then later trade and technical support agreements. Currently, the principle vehicle for international cooperation in the Mediterranean is the Euro‐Mediterranean partnership, or Barcelona process, initiated in 1995 and comprising 35 members, 25 EU Member States and 10 Mediterranean Partners 4. The objectives of this partnership are to:

1. Define a common area of peace and stability,

2. Construct a zone of shared prosperity through an economic and financial partnership and the establishment of a free trade area,

3. (...) encouraging understanding between civil societies.

1 HDI measures a country's average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: health, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/faq/question,68,en.html 2 GDP (Gross domestic product) is an aggregate measure of production. Between brackets is the ranking of these nations, being 1 the highest and 146 the lowest GDP) http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=1163 3 The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) is a composite index tracking 21 elements of environmental sustainability covering natural resource endowments, past and present pollution levels, environmental management efforts, contributions to protection of the global commons, and a society's capacity to improve its environmental performance over time. Finland is currently number 1 and North Korea number 146 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Sustainability_Index 4 http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/euromed/index_en.htm

A sustainable future for the Mediterranean: www.planbleu.org

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France, with a population of 59.4 million, has a GDP of 30,100 (2007) and ranks at no. 36 according to the Environmental Sustainability Index

Sources: as in table

Revealing data...


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The clear differentiation between Northern and Southern Mediterranean countries (essentially continental Europe on the one hand, and the Middle East and North Africa on the other) is key to the understanding of the current economic, demographic and environmental situation in these areas. This could be illustrated by an example, the aggregate water resources share: whilst France and Turkey have 40% of all the resources of the Mediterranean Basin, the whole Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) have just 2%.

“The regional integration model being developed in the North has no equivalent in the South and East. Despite several initiatives, the region remains characterized by persistent conflicts and the lack of structured cooperation” Mediterranean Blue Plan 2006.

However, expectations rose during the last meeting in July 2008 of the Euro‐Mediterranean partnership where an agreement to create a “Union for the Mediterranean” was promoted by the French government to create stronger mechanisms for intergovernmental cooperation on social, economic and environmental policy (http://www.europa‐eu‐un.org/articles/en/article_8021_en.htm). Whether this new Union will supersede the Euro‐Mediterranean Partnership is yet to be determined.

The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is one of the main mechanisms for taking forward the Barcelona convention. It includes the Plan Bleu for sustainable development of the Mediterranean Region. MAP is organised as a series of Regional Activity Centres, each with responsibility for a different aspect of MAP.

Is there a new vision for Maghreb economic integation? Click here for World Bank report

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Read more about...

Mediterranean Action Plan, http://www.unepmap.org/ and the activities and publications of its Coastal Centre http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/


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2. DECIDING WHAT COMES FIRST

2.A. THE BIG COASTAL ISSUES

CoastNet has identified four big issues for coastal areas on the North African coast and Mediterranean coast of the Middle East. They are:

1. Urbanisation

2. Governance

3. Solid waste and water‐borne pollution

4. Defence against coastal flooding and erosion risks.

These issues have been identified through an analysis by CoastNet of the priorities of international organisations in the region, and from interviews with regional experts. An issue that became apparent in this exercise is the potential for different policy streams to take divergent paths, and the importance of making efforts at the International level to ensure consistency. This is particularly the case in relation to integrating ‘environmental’ policy streams with ‘economic and social development’ policy streams.

To many, the first three issues will appear to be generic ones, which are important everywhere. However, they are particularly important in coastal areas because of the tendency for much higher population densities at the coast. The satellite image below both illustrates this tendency in the Mediterranean, and also indicates the level of growth potential in the African and Middle East countries. It is this latter factor which is perhaps of most concern at the International level. How can African and Middle Eastern countries also benefit from the resources that the Mediterranean and its coastal margin provides, whilst not over‐stressing the environmental capacity of the system?

Figure 2: Satellite image of the Mediterranean at night


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Looking at the four issues identified, they have both positive and negative aspects, and it is important to understand something of their human impact in order to fully appreciate their importance.

1. Urbanisation. We only need to look to the northern Mediterranean coast to understand the potential for urbanisation in North Africa and the Middle East. The concern is that rapid and poorly planned urbanisation could have many impacts which would threaten the long‐term wellbeing of the communities that would develop there: pollution affecting public health; cultural barriers leading to a widening gap between rich and poor; environmental degradation leading to devaluing of tourism; loss of biodiversity and related opportunities for future economic development; poorly considered coastal defences leading to loss of beaches and threatening infrastructure such as roads and hotels.

2. Governance. The process of decision‐making is central to the sustainable development of coastal areas. The complexity of the interactions between humankind and the environment demands systems that enable decisions that are set within a holistic perspective. The importance of engaging users and other stakeholders in a process of decision‐making is also widely recognised but more difficult to put in to practice. If achieved its benefits include the acquisition of local knowledge, and engendering a sense of ownership of decisions so as to facilitate implementation.

3. Solid waste and water‐borne pollution. The collection and disposal of solid domestic refuse is a huge problem. As products are sold with more and more packaging, the volume of waste is constantly increasing as the quality of life continues to improve. Systems for the collection and disposal of this waste are poor throughout much of the region, and public attitudes do not make it a high priority. The human impacts are in relation to public health, but also to environmental degradation. In the terrestrial environment refuse is unsightly and is off‐putting to tourists, as well as being harmful to wildlife. In addition, refuse is windblown into the sea or transported by rivers, and injures marine wildlife, and damages commercial fishing activities (by clogging nets, for example).

4. Defence against coastal flooding and erosion risks. In part this is a consequence of urbanisation, past and present. However, it is also an issue in low‐lying rural areas at risk from flooding from the sea, such as the Nile Delta. The environmental impact that is common to both is that coastal protection structures interfere with coastal processes, which can often lead to a greater problem of erosion elsewhere. The human impact is that the pressure to defend, and to stop beach erosion for example, often results in poorly considered decisions that may cost more to society in the long term because of unforeseen impacts.

“The central problem identified in a study on governance in Tunisia and Morocco was that governments, in maintaining under‐resourced command and control systems, have undermined their own capacity to deal with complex, dynamic and diverse sets of governance problems ”

Source: Caffyn and Jobbins, 2003

Revealing data...

In the South and East Mediterranean the very high urban growth rates – 74% of the population before 2025 – cannot be equated with similar economic development levels and technical and financial capacities of cities are limited.

Source: Mediterranean Blue

Plan

Revealing data...

“Over 80% of landfills in the South and East of the Mediterranean are uncontrolled”

Source: Mediterranean Blue Plan

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Tangiers lost 53% of tourist night stays after the disappearance of beaches in the 90’s Source: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/regional_situation_analysis.pdf

Revealing data...


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To integrate all these factors is a difficult task. CoastNet believes that they must be tackled at three levels: Government should ensure that the legal and administrative framework supports a holistic approach; Practitioners must make a personal commitment to integration in their approach to work; Citizens must also understand the complexities of coastal regions, so that they understand and support the most appropriate management decisions.

Global to local

Knowledge of these strategic issues is important, but how can it be translated into action at the local level which meets both these wider needs and those of the locality? a. A closer look at the main issues in Morocco Morocco has the lowest human development index (HDI) (UN, 2005) in the Mediterranean. More than 40% of the population live under the poverty line. With a coastline of 1835 km, 540 km belongs to the Mediterranean Sea (Dakki, 2004). The main social and environmental issues raised in Morocco coincide with those of other MENA (Middle East and North Africa) nations: 1. Urbanisation: high tourism pressure from intense foreign private investment and intensive tourism planning 2. Governance: few resources allocated to capacity building for civil society, which is characterised by poor organisation and weak lobbies. 3. Solid waste and water‐borne pollution: salination of estuaries ( for example at the Mediterranean sites of Smir, Martil, Laou, Nekor, Moulouya) 4. Defence against coastal flooding and erosion risks, the erosion of beaches is an important problem because of the dependence on these ecosystems for tourism activities The impact of these issues is intensified due to high unemployment amongst young people and large economic inequalities, especially in large cities. The fact that there is no specific legislation to protect the coast and that very few resources are allocated to protect the environment are seen as two of the main impediments to a sustainable management of coastal areas.

There have been conservation initiatives stimulated by national and international governmental organisations resulting in two coastal Protected Areas with the status of National Park, Al‐Hoceima and Souss Masa. There are 12 Sites of Ecological and Biological Value (SIBE’s – not yet a legal protection status) on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.

The UNEP‐MAP funded study on ICZM in the Moroccan Mediterranean Coast (in French)

(Download PAC Maroc‐Etude de faisabilité.pdf / 1.26MB)

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In 2002, 44% of the Moroccan rural population did not have access to drinking water.


Revealing data...

“The World Bank has assesed annual costs of Environmental degradation at 5% of the GDP in Syria, Algeria and Egypt”


Revealing data...


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Read more about...

b. A closer look at the main issues in Egypt

Egypt has the second worse Human Development Index in the Mediterranean, ranked at 112 against Morocco’s 126 (on 2005 data). The 2005 Human Development Report5, issued jointly by the Egyptian Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), proposed a radical vision for the transformation of public service delivery. The 2008 EHDR6 highlights the key role to be played by civil society and its organizations — as catalysts for change — in an emerging new social contract (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract). See the text box on the right side of the page. The 55 Social Contract (SC) programs suggested in EHDR 2005 were selected to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, but several are “significantly more ambitious and better tailored” to the specific socio‐economic and cultural profile of Egyptian society. They are:

• Poverty ‐ 4 programs. Ministry of Social Solidarity (MOSS) Preschool, Basic and Vocational Education and Adult Literacy ‐ 24 programs. Ministry of Education (MOE)

• Health Insurance ‐ 2 program. Ministry of Health (MOHP) • Social Security ‐ 1 program. Ministry of Finance (MOF) • Micro and Small Enterprise ‐ 6 programs. Social Fund for Development (SFD) • Agriculture, mechanization, animal husbandry, and Extension Services ‐ 3

programs. Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) • Water and Sanitation ‐ 10 programs. Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New

Settlements (MOHUNS) • Housing and Area Development ‐ 5 programs. Ministry of Housing, Utilities

and New Settlements (MOHUNS) All these programmes have clear social dimensions and most of them have now been incorporated in the annual and five–year investment plan of the government and the current expenditure budget. (Source: Egypt Human Development Report 2005: Choosing Our Future: Towards a New Social Contract)

Economic and social development is naturally of the highest priority of the EHDR programmes, so as to bring about positive change in relation to the well‐being of the people of Egypt. Egypt’s geography places significant constraints on its potential to develop. The map overleaf clearly illustrates the restrictions to growth posed by the Desert and the vital importance of the Nile to the country.

5 Human Development Report: http://78.136.31.142/en/reports/nationalreports/arabstates/egypt/name,3335,en.html 6 EHDR: http://78.136.31.142/en/reports/nationalreports/arabstates/egypt/name,3450,en.html

The role of Egypt’s civil society in a new social contract “The first change is a radical departure from the standard conceptual framework where poverty reduction is equated with handouts, and instead, the adoption of a pro‐poor growth paradigm as the key to unleashing the nation’s economic potential. The second innovation is that democratization and participation at the decentralized level become a major tool for cultural transformation, (…). The third is that the state provides for the full protection of every citizen regardless of ability or occupation, (…). Another [fourth] element of the paradigm shift is the targeting of quality in every domain, with an incentive package for service delivery of the highest standard, in both public and private sector domains. The last [fifth] thematic tool that permeates the vision is capacity building for quality service delivery with a significant portion of the extra budgetary resources allocated towards training of trainers in the civil service, education and private professions. (…).” http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/arabstates/egypt/name,3335,en.html


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Figure 3: Spatial distribution of population, land‐use, and economic activity in Egypt

The fertile areas of Egypt are overcrowded, and the need to develop elsewhere to the Nile is important. The coastal area of the NW Coast has been identified. It is a fertile area with sufficient rain and groundwater reserves to support agriculture. The coast provides the potential for tourism related growth.

However, growth has been constrained by a lack of infrastructure, particularly transport, and huge areas of unexploded WWII mines (21% of the worlds unexploded mines are in Egypt, mostly in this area). The map below illustrates their extent.

A UN sponsored mine clearance programme was agreed in late 2006 and is now underway. This programme underpins a large scale Egyptian Government development of the North West Coast area. UNDP

Source: DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN EGYPT: FOCUS ON COASTAL RESOURCES AND THE NILE, OECD 2004. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/4/33330510.pdf

Figure 4: Mine clearance programme map

Green indicates priority development areas Pink/purple indicates suspected mine infected areas Dotted blue lines show administrative boundaries

Source: http://www.unddp‐mic.org/docments/project_doc/MA_Project_Document.pdf

Read more about... The UNDP mine clearance project: http://www.unddp‐ic.org/docments/project_doc/MA_Project_Document.pdf

Revealing data...

21% of the world’s unexploded mines are in Egypt Source: http://www.unddp‐

mic.org/docments/project_doc/MA_Project_Document.pdf


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supported the Ministry of Planning in developing the plan. The expected cost for full implementation of the development plan is approximately US$ 10 billion. The plan, if implemented as envisioned, will have a considerable impact not only on the North West Coast region, but also on the national economy as a whole. The development plan is expected to create about 400,000 jobs and about one and a half million people are expected to move into the region by the year 2022.

The big questions for coastal sustainability relate to how the development plans for this region are implemented in such a way that the coastal resources are not over‐exploited, which could lead to:

• polluted waters,

• depleted fish resources,

• over‐grazing,

• loss of diversity in agriculture through cash cropping,

• loss of cultural identity as immigration from the Nile Valley swamps the indigenous Bedouin population,

• destruction of unique habitats for urbanisation and consequent loss of valuable biodiversity,

• ensuring that development takes account of climate change, in particular with regard to coastal flood and erosion risk.

Given this complex range of demands we must ask whether the systems of governance, particularly the mechanisms for community involvement in decision‐making and procedures for spatial planning, are sufficiently sophisticated and robust to cope? According to the interviews with regional experts as part of this study, Governance was cited as the principle issue in relation to coastal management in Egypt and the wider region. Poor governance was leading to poorly integrated decision‐making such that, for example, coastal development was allowed in inappropriate locations, leading to demand for coastal defences, which were planned and implemented without a full understanding or consideration of the environmental consequences.

Figure 5: Haphazard and unsightly defences on Alexandria’s beach

Read more...

North West Coast Development Plan http://www.unddp‐mic.org/Development/developmentplan_en.aspx North West Coast Development Authority http://www.housing‐utility.gov.eg/english/northcost.asp


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According to the EU analysis of priorities for cooperation with Egypt (http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/enpi_csp_egypt_en.pdf),

“As regards the marine environment and coastal zones, the 1994 Environment Protection Law assigns the EEAA [Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency] responsibility for initiating and coordinating integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). A National ICZM Committee has existed since 1994, but is not currently active. A National ICZM Plan was initiated in 1996, and a plan was adopted for the Egyptian Red Sea Coastal Zone in 1998.”


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2.B Response through policy and practice

a. A joint response to Mediterranean coastal issues: protocols and practice

These questions, the issues highlighted in the previous section, are being adressed through international and national policy and practice.

The main framework for national policy development in Middle East and North African States of the Mediterranean is the Barcelona Convention, a set of older and newer protocols (click here) that initially set out to control pollution but has gradually widened its objectives to include Integrated Coastal Management. The seven protocols complete the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the first‐ever Regional Seas Programme under the UNEP's umbrella.

The most recently agreed ICZM protocol (click here) brings a broader and more comprehensive focus to respond to coastal and marine issues. In the words of the Mediterranean Action Plan coordinator “It is the first time that ICZM is full addressed by a legally‐binding international instrument”.

However, although most of the countries have ratified the Barcelona Convention and will most likely be doing the same with the new ICZM Protocol, it has been recognised, 30 years into the Convention, that there is a problem with awareness and compliance. Enforcing national legislation to protect coastal areas becomes more difficult at the local level. Insufficient resources and conflicts of interest or conflicts of duty often being the barriers to implementation.

The Coastal Management Centre ‐ Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC) of UNEP/MAP plays an essential role in providing methodologies and tools to partners and most importantly implements different approaches to coastal management issues through the CAMP projects (Click here for details) and other initiatives like SMAP III (Click here for details) , focused at top level policy making.

As we have illustrated with the examples of Morocco and the North West coast of Egypt, there are a number of other international bodies, cooperation organisations and NGOs that promote good practice (FAO, World Bank, OECD, IUCN – see section 3) but each either pursuing its own coastal management goals, or prioritising other issues such as economic development in a way that by‐passes the ICZM process.

Read more about... What is new about the ICZM protocol? The new legal instrument. It adds provisions inter alia on the environmental impact analysis, the protection and sustainable use of coastal areas, particular coastal ecosystems, coastal landscapes and islands, economic activities and cultural heritage, governance and climate change. Source: http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org


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b. From international protocols to national structures, policy and plans

Taking as an example the case of Morocco, the government has ratified and signed up to a number of international conventions and protocols which has given the state a global and integrated vision of sustainable development, in theory placing environmental issues in the centre of socio‐economic development. However, legislation is inappropriate and does not favour collective and shared responsibility for natural resource management. Neither is it clear the impact of the existing legislation at a local level.

Regarding Morocco’s policy for international cooperation, both multilateral (World Bank, UNEP, EC, WWF, etc.) and bilateral cooperation (France, Spain, Germany, Canada, Japan) work at different levels of coastal management (development, research, protection, waste management, aquaculture development, empowering local communities, etc) and are expected to work under a coordinated national strategy.

National environmental policies are planned by the Department for the Environment. They focus on restoring degraded areas, guiding economic activities that have a negative impact on the environment, an integrated and global prevention system and putting into place appropriate resources for implementation (financial, legal, etc.).

Table 2: Structures that are directly involved in Coastal Management in Morocco Coastal Cell “Cellule littoral” cross sectoral commission

Ministry of Interior and local government

Holds the role of integrating sectoral local actions for ICZM

Ministry of Territorial Management, Water and the Environment

The Department of the Environment comprises the “Cellule Littoral”, created under the framework of the MedWetCoast, which is a cross‐cutting Coastal Unit that develops a multi sectoral vision of ICZM, aiming to also integrate biodiversity issues.

Government Secretariat General

Has the role of avoiding conflict between actions of different governmental bodies.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

Follows international activities and funding opportunities.

Ministry of infrastructures and transport

Is responsible for Ports and Maritime Public Domain

Department of Maritime Fishing

The National Fishing Office (ONP) has recently been restructured and is responsible for awareness campaigns for fishermen, calling biological stops for recovering fishing stocks, surveying and controlling fishing zones, capacity building of stakeholders and constructing fishing ports and facilities.

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, High Commission of Water, Forests and fighting Desertification, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of National Education.

Read more about... Integrated Coastal Management in Africa ten years ago (1998) http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/pdfs/africaeng.pdf


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Read more about...

Source: Dakki, 2004

In the last five years approximately 120 projects enabled the implementation of an Action Plan by the Department of the Environment and public and private partners. The UNDP has supported the National Action Plan for the Environment (PANE) which will involve many international and regional partners and is orientated towards a more participative environmental management.

One of the most important policies that has been developed by the government for coastal conservation and management was the Economic and Social Plan. This plan foresees a global programme to safeguard and ensure an integrated development of the coastal environment with the involvement of stakeholders (This includes the definition of a Coastal management and protection strategy, pilot projects, improving the institutional framework for coordination purposes and reinforcing monitoring).

Two institutions were created to implement some of these actions, the High Council for Safeguarding and Exploitation of Fisheries (in regional councils) and the Surveying Resource for Coastal Water Quality, with twelve stations with laboratories and boats along the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coasts of Morocco.

When it comes to national and local institutional structures, as is usually the case with coastal management, nearly all are involved, directly or indirectly in the issues of coastal management.

There are two public organisations specialised in marine and coastal environment, the Office of Port Development and Exploitation and the National Institute for Fishing Resources (INRH), that play an essential role in the knowledge and protection of the marine environment . Together they have eight centres (regional and specialised in aquaculture) as well as the headquarters in Casablanca.

National and international expertise in environmental issues is brought together through a number of inter ministerial consultation institutions that provide technical and scientific basis for decision making (Environment, Fishing, Climate, Territorial management, Impact assessments, Coasts, Biodiversity and Wetlands).

It is worth highlighting also the Coastal Commission composition, with members from the Ministries of Public Works, Interior, Water and Forests, Commerce and Industry and Communication. It has an advisory role for coastal planning within 5 kilometres from the coastline.

The Moroccan Coastal Cell. MedWet funded a technical assistance project with experts from Ernst &Young, the French Conservatoire du Littoral and a Moroccan legal expert. After more than 15 meetings all sectoral and stakeholders perspectives were taken into account to establish the functions of this structure and objectives. Source: MedWet News online


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c. From international practices to national policy and practice

In this section we will look at how internationally initiated or funded projects and programmes have provided the basis for detailed policy development in the case of the Egyptian North West Coast.

This area has been the subject of a number of internationally‐funded studies in the last decade. Those of particular relevance to coastal management are illustrated in the diagram below:

Figure 7: Diagram illustrating the complexity of coastal management studies developed for the North West Coast of Egypt

Source: CoastNet

MedWetCoast 1999‐2004 http://vinc.s.free.fr/ and http://vinc.s.free.fr/article.php3?id_article=113

OECD climate change and coast report, 2004 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/4/33330510.pdf

University Cantabria ICAM project, Marsa Matruh to Sallum, ongoing

Protected Area Conservation report 2006, Egyptial EEA and UNDP, IUCN http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/pa_egypt_towards_future.pdf

Carrying capacity assessment for tourism 1999, MAP http://pap‐thecoastcentre.org/pdfs/CCA%20for%20Tourism%20Development.pdf

Mediterranean Action Plan white paper, “Coastal zone management in the Mediterranean) (2001) http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/pdfs/ICAM%20in%20Mediterranean%20‐%20White%20Paper.pdf

Figure 6: Egypt regions and boundaries

Source: Wikimedia Commons, 2008

North West Coast Development Plan http://www.housing‐utility.gov.eg/english/northcost.asp

Fuka Matruh ICAM project, MAP, 1992 – 1999 http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=31&lang=en#13

Mine Action Programme, NW Egypt. 2006 to date http://www.mineaction.org/projects.asp?c=72


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Collectively, these reports provide a good information base to support the development activity that is already underway and that which the mine clearance programme will enable in the future.

However, it is CoastNet experience that coastal management is as much about process as about research and planning. There is little evidence of ongoing international support behind the implementation of the development programme or of individual components of it. The concern must be that the development programme fails to adequately address the complex environmental issues in this coastal region and harm the future prospects for its citizens through unsustainable development. The resettlement of 1.5 million people and the construction of the infrastructure required to support them, which is the objective of the joint UNDP and Egyption Government programme, is a huge undertaking by any standards. Can the public sector keep up with the likely pace of investment in urban housing and tourism accommodation, and so ensure that this development is appropriate in nature and scale to the cultural, spatial and environmental characteristics of the region?

CoastNet’s experience is that ad hoc projects do little to build capacity for good governance in coastal zones. This is because their complexity calls for sustained efforts in relation to raising awareness and building understanding amongst decision‐makers and stakeholders. Also that the pressures for development and change create a high level of case work and an expanding civil service, which requires sophisticated institutional procedures that take time to develop and to mainstream, which also cannot be done through an ad hoc approach.

Read more... About the complexity of environmental legislation in Egypt. A complilation of more than 200 laws related to environmental issues http://www.pap‐medclearinghouse.org/eng/frames_legislation.asp?bok=egypt


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3. LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: ORGANISATIONS AND INSTRUMENTS SUPPORTING ICZM In this section we have listed some of the main national and international organisations, indicating their role, main projects and activities and where to find further information about them. 3.A. INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND INSTRUMENTS The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP)

The Barcelona Convention was the first of the UNEP regional seas programmes to be established. It now has 22 signatories and supports an active programme of activity through the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP).

http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/

http://www.unepmap.org

Although the initial focus of the MAP was on marine pollution control, experience confirmed that socio‐economic trends, combined with inadequate development planning and management are the root of most environmental problems. Consequently, the focus of MAP gradually shifted to include integrated coastal zone planning and management as the key tool through which solutions are being sought.

MAP created for this purpose a Priority Action Plan Regional Action Centre for ICZM in Croatia, the Coastal Centre, that supports sustainable management and planning and development activities by implementing Coastal Area Management Programmes (CAMPs). This is carried out by individual problem‐solving projects in the most affected coastal areas of the Mediterranean.

UNEP and MAP Projects and activities

Since 1990, 13 CAMP projects have been completed in Albania, Algeria, Croatia (Kastela Bay), Cyprus, Egypt (Fuka‐Matrouh), Greece (Rhodes), Israel, Lebanon, Malta, Slovenia, Syria, Tunisia (Sfax), and Turkey (Izmir Bay). Two more are currently being implemented in Spain and Morocco.

http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org

Other relevant recent activities of the Coastal Centre are :

1. The new ICZM Protocol http://www.pap‐

thecoastcentre.org/razno/PROTOCOL%20ENG%20IN%20FINAL%20FORMAT.pdf

It became obvious, five years after the 1995 Barcelona Convention that no real progress would be achieved in the field with new ICAM recommendations or guidelines alone, since these would only be repetitions of what already exists, close to stagnation or regression, highlighting once again the lack of effectiveness and implementation of adopted documents. Only specialists are aware of these documents and almost everything has already been written on these issues. Time has now come to take one further step, ensuring more effective application in the field. To this end, the


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only truly viable approach is the adoption of a legally binding regional instrument. After six years of work including a feasibility study and a consultation process the protocol is now available for ratification until January 2009. 2.The Coastday campaign for coastal awareness:

http://www.coastday.org/

3. Other non ‐ coastal specific activities financed by the MAP are:

- the Blue Plan activity centre in France that works on prospective scenarios (www.planbleu.org)

- the Specially Protected Areas Centre in Tunisia that provides training and advice for creating and managing protected areas and species (www.rac‐spa.org.tu)

- the Environment Remote Sensing Centre in Italy that applies these techniques to obtain and integrate data from other sources (www.ctmnet.it)

- the Cleaner Production centre in Spain that spreads concepts and awareness of the benefits of cleaner production and pollution prevention (www.cpin.es)

- the MEDPOL programme that assists in formulating and implementing national pollution assessment programmes as well as following up each national Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for the reduction and elimination of land‐based pollution

http://195/97.36.231/medpol

- The Programme for the Protection of Coastal Historic Sites , with a special focus on underwater archaeological sites including shipwrecks.

- The Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development that works as an advisory body and a forum for dialogue for a regional sustainable development strategy for the Mediterranean

MENA Development Forum (MDF)

Started its activity in 1997, the MENA Development Forum (MDF) is dedicated to empowering civil society to participate in shaping public policy; improving the outreach and dialogue on economic and social policy issues in MENA; improving the extent and quality of research on economic and social policy issues; and creating vibrant networks of development actors in the region. The MDF partnership is comprised of Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) think tanks, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank Institute.

http://info.worldbank.org/etools/mdfdb/about.htm

MENA Projects and activities

The MENA Development Forums (1‐5) – see link above, Communities of Practice Competition, Network of Lawyers Reforming NGO Laws, Network of Women Evaluators, MENANET, Poverty Analysis Initiative, Youth Initiatives


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FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation)

This organisation focuses efforts on the sectors of Agriculture, forestry and fishing and aquaculture activities.

www.fao.org

FAO Projects and activities

The resources of most interest for ICZM in the Southern Mediterranean Countres can be found in:

- a general fisheries commission for the Mediterranean

www.fao.org/fi/body/rfb/GFCM/gfcm_home.htm

- information for the production of aquaculture in the

Mediterranean www.faosipam.org

- Establishment of cooperative networks for fisheries management in the Mediterranean

www.faocopemed.org

UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)

http://www.undp.org/

UNDP Coastal projects and activities

The MEDWETCOAST project concluded in 2006 with highly relevant and accessible outputs for ICZM

They have implemented pilot projects in the following countries: Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine.

http://vinc.s.free.fr/ (archive web pages)

http://www.medwet.org/medwetnew/en/index.asp

Global Environment Facility [GEF]

http://www.gefweb.org/ UNDP supports the development of projects in the areas covered by the GEF, and also manages two corporate programmes on behalf of the GEF partnership. These are the Small Grants Programme (which has a portfolio of over 5,000 community‐based projects) and the GEF National Consultative Dialogue Initiative, which strengthens country ownership and involvement in GEF activities through multiple stakeholder dialogue.

Fonds Français Pour l’Environnement Mondial [FFEM]

http://www.ffem.net/


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WORLD BANK - METAP, the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Programme

The Secretariat is located at The World Bank and is supported by this organisation as well as the European Union, UNDP , European Investment Bank, Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. METAP beneficiary countries are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia‐Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey & West Bank & Gaza

www.worldbank.org

WORLD BANK - METAP Coastal projects and activities

As part of the METAP III regional program, the World Bank has entrusted the CITET with supervising the second phase of the pilot project for the institutional strengthening of the system for evaluating impact on the environment in the Mediterranean region.

http://www.metap.org/

http://www.metap‐solidwaste.org/

IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med)

The IUCN Programme for the Mediterranean has developed a situation analysis of the region to maximise the role of IUCN and partners to best deliver relevant, sustainable and focused actions.

IUCN Coastal projects and activities

http://www.iucn.org/places/medoffice/en/en_programs.html

A draft situation analysis of the Mediterranean region can be consulted online:

http://www.iucn.org/places/medoffice/documentos/situation_analysis_en.pdf

http://www.iucn.org/where/europe/mediterranean/index.cfm?uNewsID=747

Other bilateral /multilateral cooperation agencies

A number of Cooperation agencies provide support for sustainable development in the region such as the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA, http://www.sida.se/ ), the Canadian (CIDA, http://www.acdi‐cida.gc.ca/ ) or the Japanese (JICA, http://www.jica.go.jp/english/) equivalents to mention a few.


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WWF-Mediterranean

This organisation has worked very actively in the Mediterranean region. A useful online resource is the Mediterranean Directory of Environmental Organisations

http://www.atw‐wwf.org/mdeo/

WWF Coastal activities

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/what_we_do/mediterranean/index.cfm

Greenpeace Med

Greenpeace Mediteranean set up its first office in Malta in 1995, to set up a base for the co‐ordination of Greenpeace activities in Albania, Algeria, Tunisia, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Malta, Syria, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority. Also now actively campaign from bases in Istanbul, Tel Aviv and Beirut as well.

http://www.greenpeace.org/mediterranean/

Greenpeace Med Coastal projects and activities

Defending our Mediterranean campaign

Friends of the Earth (FOE) MedNet

http://www.foeeurope.org/mednet/media/index.html

FOE MedNet Coastal projects and activities

1) the Euro‐med free trade area (emfta)

2) the Horizon 2020 Mediterranean depollution initiative

3) the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (mcsd)

4) Sustainble eating habits


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3.B. TRANSNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND INSTRUMENTS SMAP Short and Medium-term Priority Environmental Action Programme coordinated by the European Commission

SMAP constitutes the environmental component of the Euro Mediterranean Partnership and builds on the Barcelona Declaration, which “recognised the importance of reconciling economic development with environmental protection, of integrating environmental concerns into the relevant aspects of economic policy and of mitigating any potential negative environmental consequences”.

http://www.smaponline.net/EN/index.php?subdir=sma&page=sma.php

SMAP Coastal projects and activities

The SMAP programme sets five priorities for national and donor interventions, these include Integrated Water Management and Waste Management, Pollution or threatened species hotspots, ICZM and Combating Desertification.

SMAP ICZM projects are listed under:

http://www.smaponline.net/EN/index.php?subdir=smap3&page=smap3.php&menu0=1

Other EU funds available

There are a number of other EU funding tools for the Mediterranean but the access to these from Southern and Eastern Mediteranean Countries is quite limited ( Interreg, Life, Framework Programmes, etc.)

However, cooperation has been further enhanced since January 2007 through the current European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) with a budget of €13 billion until the year 2013.

Examples of other EU funded Coastal projects and activities

The MAMA MedGOOS project developed a thematic network involving all the Mediteranean countries.

www.ifremer.fr/mama/

The Med PAN Interreg IIIC project supports a network of all Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Managers

http://www.medpan.org

CEDARE (The Center for Environment and Development for the Arab

The Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe ‐ was established in 1992 as an international inter‐governmental organisation with diplomatic status . This was in response to the convention adopted by the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible For the Environment (CAMRE) , in 1991 and upon the initiative of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Arab


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Region and Europe)

fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD). CEDARE lists marine and coastal management, environmental economics and assessment, urbanisation, and education and communication as areas of special concern.

http://www.cedare.int/Main.aspx?code=284

PERSGA (Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden)

Persga is an intergovernmental organisation, established as one of the UNEP regional seas programmes, dedicated to the conservation of the coastal and marine environments in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Its strategic action plan lists support for integrated coastal zone management as one of its eight focal areas.

http://www.persga.org

The Africa Partnership Forum (APF)

The Africa Partnership Forum (APF) was established in November 2003 in the wake of the Evian Summit as a way of broadening the existing high‐level G8/NEPAD dialogue to encompass Africa's major bilateral and multilateral development partners. The APF's mission is to strengthen partnership efforts in favour of Africa's development. Its members; Africa, G8, OECD and other development partners all work together as equals in the forum – and ensure synergies and coherence with other international fora.

http://www.africapartnershipforum.org

Examples of APF Coastal projects and activities

This study presents the challenges of Climate Change impacts on Africa

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/20/40692762.pdf

Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ESCDE)

http://www.mio‐ecsde.org


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RAED (Arab Network for Environment and Development) – AOYE (Arab Office for Youth and the Environment)

The Arab Network for Environment and Development “RAED” is an Arab NGO established since November 1990. RAED was founded to satisfy the actual needs of NGOs throughout the Arab Countries and to gather them under one umbrella.

http://www.aoye.org/

The Mediterranean Cities Network

Medcities is a network of Mediterranean coastal cities created in Barcelona in November 1991 at the initiative of the Mediterranean Technical Assistance Programme (METAP) The Medcities network is a tool to strengthen the environmental and sustainable development management capability of local administration, but it is also useful in order to identify the domains were a common activation could be the most useful mean to improve the regional environmental conditions.

www.medcities.org

Enironmental Development Action – Maghreb (ENDA)

Environment and Development Action in the Third World (ENDA‐TM) is an international non‐profit organisation based in Dakar, Senegal. Founded in 1972, ENDA is an association of autonomous entities co‐ordinated by an Executive Secretariat. ENDA's worldwide representation includes twenty‐four teams at the Dakar headquarters each working on development and environment themes and twenty‐one poles in Southern countries: fourteen in Africa.

http://www.enda.sn/

MED – Forum (Meiteranean NGO Network for Ecology and Sustainable Development)

This organisation was created during the III Mediteranean Environmental Forum and its objectives are to represent NGOs in International Fora, developing cooperation projects, promoting regional campaigns, activities at a national level and organisation of forums, seminars and meetings.

http://www.medforum.org/english/index.htm


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3.C. EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

Morocco

Cellule Littoral (Office for coastal issues) from the Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Eau et de l’Environnement.

http://www.minenv.gov.ma/

Water Ressources, Forests and Fight Against Desertification (HCEFLCD)

www.eauxetforets.gov.ma

Egypt

Governmental body responsible for environmental policies is the “Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)”

http://www.eeaa.gov.eg/

Tunisia

Government body responsible for environmental policies is the: “Agence de protection et d'aménagement du littoral” (APAL)

http://www.apal.nat.tn/

Algeria

Government body responsible for environmental policies is the: “Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Environnement et du Tourisme” (MATE)

http://www.mta.gov.dz/

Lybia

Government body responsible for environmental policies is the Environment General Authority

http://www.environment.org.ly/


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4.LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: INSPIRATION and GOOD PRACTICES 4.A. Good practice resources: general If you are looking for Coastal Management projects and/or good practice we recommend the following general online resources: THE ENCORA CONTACT DATABASE

The Encora network extends across Europe and North Africa, the project database contains more than 450 projects. There are also a persons and an organisations contact database.

http://www.encora.eu/index.php?option=com_imis&module=project&Itemid=21

PAP/RAC (MAP) COASTAL PROJECTS INVENTORY

Mediterranean ICAM project online database, sorted by countries

http://www.pap‐medclearinghouse.org/eng/page001a.asp

THE COASTNET GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE

The CoastNet Good Practice Directory of Good Practice includes more than 60 examples from UK National Partnerships.

http://www.coastnet.org.uk http://www.coastnet.org.uk/files/Education/Good%20Practice%20Directory%20Marine%20Education%20Final.pdf

THE COPRANET COASTAL PRACTICE DATABASE

The Coastal Practice Network has collected 173 projects and 158 case studies. These can be browsed by keywords selecting the Extended Search option.

http://www.coastalpractice.net/en/tourismdb/index.htm


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4.B. Good practice resources: by issues The following practices are not only from North Africa and Middle East we have included others that may be useful sources of information:

1. Urbanisation Agriculture and urbanisation in the Mediterranean Region: enabling policies for sustainable use of soil and water (completed 2003)

http://cordis.europa.eu/inco/fp4/projects/ACTIONeqDndSESSIONeq17065200595ndDOCeq89ndTBLeqEN_PROJ.htm

Development of Strategies for Sustainable Tourism in Mediterranean Nations

http://www.life‐destinations.org/ The enormous risk of environmental degradation in the case of an unsustainable tourism development calls for immediate action.

2. Governance Community engagement

http://www.smaponline.net/EN/index.php?subdir=smap_proj&page=smap_proj.php&pclass=pmenu&menu0=1&blocco=int_coa_pro.html

Governance and capacity‐building

http://www.smaponline.net/EN/index.php?subdir=smap_proj&page=smap_proj.php&pclass=pmenu&menu0=1&blocco=int_man_pro.html

Local Agenda 21 projects in Africa

http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=709 http://www.agenda21maroc.ma/

Greener Governance in the Southern South Africa Development Community

http://www.iclei.org/documents/Africa/greener_governance_in_southern_SADC.pdf This report contains a series of 15 case studies on communities in South Africa that have and are currently working on projects related to greener governance.

Success stories of coastal governance projects in Latin America

http://www.crc.uri.edu/SUCCESS/stories.php

3. Solid waste and water-borne pollution Regional Solid Waste Management project for countries in Maghreb and Mashreq

http://www.metap‐solidwaste.org/

R&D PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF MARINE POLLUTION

http://www.emsa.europa.eu/Docs/opr/eu_marine_rtd_projects_overview.pdf

Sustainable agriculture http://www.mashreq‐maghreb.org/

4. Defence against coastal flooding and erosion risks. Eurosion case studies http://www.eurosion.org/reports‐online/part4.pdf

This report presents the main lessons learned from the practical level of coastal erosion management with a state‐of‐the‐art of coastal erosion management solutions in Europe, based on the review of 60 case studies. http://www.eurosion.org/reports‐online/reports.html List of all reports

Concepts and Science for Coastal Erosion Management

http://www.conscience‐eu.net/


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4.C. Good practice examples: by nations Syria CAMP project

http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=38&lang=en

Tunisia CAMP project http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=39&lang=en

Algeria CAMP project http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=27&lang=en SMAP project http://www.smaponline.net/EN/index.php?subdir=smap_proj&page=smap_proj.php&pclass=pmenu&menu0=1&blocco=alg_coa_pro.html

Lebanon CAMP project http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=35&lang=en

Egypt CAMP project http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=31&lang=en South Sinai Regional Development Programme http://www.eu‐ssrdp.org/en/homepage Community projects in South Sinai http://www.southsinaifoundation.org/projects.html Medicinal plants in Egypt http://www.mpcpegypt.com/index.aspx Bedouin Handicrafts http://st‐katherine.net/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=14&Itemid=143 Learning about Marine Conservation: http://www.iucn.org/where/europe/mediterranean/index.cfm?uNewsID=747


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4.D. Examples of good practice at national level: ICZM projects in Morocco

CAMP project

http://www.pap‐thecoastcentre.org/about.php?blob_id=63&lang=en

CAP‐Nador (Coastal Action Plan for Nador)

http://www.smaponline.net/EN/index.php?subdir=smap_proj&page=smap_proj.php&pclass=pmenu&menu0=1&blocco=red_con_pro.html

CAP‐Nador (Coastal Action Plan for Nador) has the aim to stop the decline of Nador´s coastal natural wealth and secure the livelihood of its population through the establishment of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan of Action with full stakeholders’ participation.

Research and consultative forum in Tetouan

In the Tetouan region, one of the main industrial areas of the country, a local consultative forum in 2003 gathered international experts and local organisations to decide for the future of the local river “Oued Martil”. The following internet address links to the document that was the result of several intensive days of work (translated from French): http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.sdv‐tetouan.ma/sdv‐tetouan/produits/produit2/2.asp See also the Coastal Urban Forum in Tetouan, 2003 http://www.sdv‐tetouan.ma/sdv‐tetouan/produits/produit2/tetouan_rapport.pdf

National Park and fishing community driving sustainable change in Al‐Hoceima

This project involved local fishermen in the management of coastal biodiversity, and a participative designation of a sanctuary, as well as the creation of the Al Hoceima National Park. This project was implemented through the local leadership of the Azir association and received support from various agencies including WWF. http://azir.cfsites.org/

Moroccan Coastal Management: Building capacity to adapt to climate change through Sustainable Policies and Planning

This project supports capacity building and the development of tools and methods to underpin preparation for and responses to climate‐related events in coastal zones. Researchers will be identifying population vulnerability; develop adaptation strategies and land use guidelines while optimizing the tradeoffs between different stakeholders; and enhance local capacity for participatory planning. This project is led by the International Development Research Centre from Canada (IDRC) with Moncton University, EUCC and the Ecole Nationale Forestiere d’Ingenieurs. www.idrc.ca

UNEP Coast Day

Environmental awareness project http://www.coastday.org/cd_activities.php?lang=en#maroko

MEDPOL reports and the creation of national resources to control marine water quality

http://www.chem.unep.ch/gmn/014_map.htm


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Strategic Action Plan for Marine Biodiversity

In the Moroccan Mediterranean

http://www.medsp.org/english/index.asp

GEF ‐ GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FUND

Project for Protected areas management plans and social actions with neighbouring human settlements.

UNDP MedWetCoast (concluded 2006)

This project had the cooperation of the Ministry of the Environment and Water and Forests, the Scientific Institute of Rabat and WWF and the sites involved were proposed to become Ramsar sites. 1. Development and implementation of policies for the sustainable management of wetlands and coastal areas. 2. Protection and removal of root causes of the loss of biodiversity of global significance in key demonstration sites. 3. Contributing to closing the Mediterranean circle in terms of biodiversity protection and sustainable management of wetlands and coastal zones through networking and training.

Source: http://vinc.s.free.fr/presentation.php3?id_article=452 GREPOM – Group de Recherche pour la Protection des Oiseaux au Maroc (NGO)

Ecotourism and Environmental Education project. A feasibility study to enhance ecotourism value of a SIBE site in Moulouya. Was led by the national NGO Grepom, Research group for the protection of birds in Morocco, supported by French funds and the MedWetCoast

MedPAN (EU Interreg IIIC) MedPAN is the network of managers of marine protected areas in

the Mediterranean. This three‐year project (2005 ‐ 2007) was funded by the Interreg IIIC South. It brings together 23 partners from 11 countries around the shores of the Mediterranean, of which 14 partners are European (France Italy, Greece, Malta, Slovenia, Spain) and 9 partners from non‐European countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Croatia, Turkey).

http://www.medpan.org/?arbo=accueil

Départament des Pêches Maritimes ‐MECO

Establishing the bases for a sustainable managementof sensitive Mediterranean ecosystems. http://www.meco.unifi.it/italianv.htm


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5. LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: ICZM RESEARCH and CAPACITY BUILDING

5.A. Insight on current trends in Coastal

Management research and capacity building In most cases ICZM programmes concentrate on the development of management strategies. They less often address the issue of the capacity of individuals or institutions to deliver integrated management. The factors that may make capacity an issue are many, and include:

• People have a poor understanding of the concept

• Institutional procedures are a barrier to integrated working

• Access to information is poor

• ICZM is a low priority and consequently receives few resources.

We present here two European funded projects that have addressed this issue: a.COREPOINT, in which CoastNet was a partner, developed a specific approach which comprised:

1. Expert couplets: a Research‐Policy partnership approach 2. COREPOINT training schools 3. Local solutions for managing coastal information 4. Assessing progress in integrated management

“The COREPOINT approach is about building capacity, so that integrated management can be more successfully achieved. This is tackled at the institutional level, through expert couplets, local information systems and assessing progress in ICZM. At the human level, capacity is built through training, and through the expert couplet experience.” See http://crc67.ucc.ie/corepoint/ for more information. b.ENCORA (www.encora.eu) was established to provide better coordination of research and policy making for coastal management, and better access to expertise and information. It has developed an internet information portal as one tool to help achieve this. It has a database of contacts, as a source of guidance and good practice, and a ’Coastal Wiki’ as an authoritative source of information on coastal concepts. The portal also incorporates CoastNet’s ‘CoastWeb’, an online document archive (www.coastweb.info ). The ENCORA project also considered the issue of training, and recommended the establishment of national centres of excellence in training for coastal management. The box below shows the wide range of capacity issues that exist.


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It is clear from this work that capacity building at both Institutional level and human level should be an integral part of ICZM strategies. Case Study: recommendations for Capacity-building in the North West Coast of Egypt The North West Egypt coastal region is to be developed to accommodate 1.5 million new residents by 2022. The degree and pace of construction activity and the complexities involved with development on this scale will require significant additional capacity to ensure that development meets community needs and that environmental impacts are minimised. CoastNet proposes the following programme for capacity‐building in NW Egypt: Annual conference – to share knowledge and debate strategic issues

regarding the development programme Thematic workshops – to assist practitioners in gaining a more

holistic perspective, and to gain a better understanding of issues and concepts

Newsletter – to share information and news Guides to good practice Assessment of IT provision and skills – to ensure that online

resources can be used A Certified training programme, combining periodic events with

distance learning, leading to vocational qualifications – to improve the level of expertise amongst practitioners.

Institutional and individual capacity issues in coastal management

• Lack of sustained capacity and expertise in ICZM within Local Authorities.

• Fragmentation of the training and educational effort. • Training efforts not directly linked with management priorities. • Poor links between researchers and policy makers. • Limited training directed to higher levels of government and decision‐

making. • Lack or limited mechanisms to transfer courses and experience. • Limited use of need assessments as a diagnostic tool. • Limited use of evaluation tools to identify the impact of the capacity

building effort within the working environment. • No synergy between different capacity building initiatives. • Limited use of communication means to capture attention of the

general public and the decision makers. • Absence of a critical mass of practitioners and policy makers that push

ICZM towards the centre stage of the economic and environmental goals of a country.

• Limited numbers of ICZM trainers. • Lack of awareness/ information on training opportunities, especially for

people outside governmental spheres or large institutions. • Need to convince institutions of the need and benefits regarding the

training of personnel at all levels. Source: Encora theme 10 report , draft (www.encora.eu)


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Assessment of Institutional systems and procedures – to identify possible improvements and efficiencies

Exchanges of staff between Institutions in Europe and Egypt ‐ to study systems and procedures, and to implement improvements


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5.B. Insight and examples of current trends in Governance in Coastal Management

As a follow‐up of the Implementation Plan of the Johannesburg WSSD, it has been strongly encouraged that countries of the Mediterranean region strengthen legal frameworks, nurture democracy, accountability and transparency and promote the effective participation of the civil society, especially women and youth and the private sector in the decision making process. Timely and proper implementation and enforcement of decisions taken at all levels concerning sustainable development needs to be given due attention. Organisations like the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives actively promote that the Mediterranean (and other) countries adhere to the Principle 10 of Agenda 21 and consider acceding to the Aarhus Convention and establishing domestic regimes which provide for public access to environmental information, participation in decision‐making and access to justice. The role of both regional (international) and local levels of governance and participatory decision making structures should be strengthened in the Mediterranean and the role of women needs to be more emphasised at all levels as they play an essential role in sustainable development. Development programmes should focus on women’s issues. Although there are many publications on community engagement the following list of the International Association for Public Participation of participatory tools is fairly comprehensive and includes an assesment of why and when to use each tool.

http://www.iap2.org/associations/4748/files/06Dec_Toolbox.pdf This handbook on Governance and Socioeconomics of Large Marine Ecosystems gives a good insight into the issues at a larger scale. The book is divided in three main sections: I.From Sectoral to Ecosystem‐based management, II. From Planning to Implementation: the steps in the Governance process, III. A Primer on the challenges and the dimensions of LME governance, IV. Sustainable Financing and V. Future Directions.

http://www.iwlearn.net/abt_iwlearn/pns/learning/lme‐gov‐handbook.pdf

To understand some of the key implications of governance systems in North Africa (the case studies were from Morocco and Tunisia), the MECO project delivered a revealing study “Governance Capacity and Stakeholder Interactions in the Development and Management of Coastal Tourism”. This study highlighted the following:


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Box x: Main findings of the Governance Capacity Study in Morocco and Tunisia

Governing instruments: are in the hands of the state administration, stakeholders found these take too long to draft and enact, difficult to change and that they focus on symptoms rather than on causes of problems. These are rarely carried out by those with power to influence their character.

Financial instruments: subsidies, taxes, compensation and credit facilities were generally seen as lengthy processes if beneficial and some taxes being unfair. For example hoteliers who pay taxes to local authorities for waste management that were not delivered because of budgetary problems.

Governmental information sharing: Data conflicts were found both amongst state departments and within different hierarchical levels of the same agency. Officials at regional and central level lacked data on site conditions whilst local officials frequently did not have access to strategic planning documents or data explaining the context for instructions. Vertical interactions and integration appear strong due to clear lines of accountability and command and supervision. However, information trickles up and orders flow down, frequently without explanation with little space for adaptive management.

Access to information: Local non‐state stakeholders rarely had images regarding state decisions and more often viewed the state as being constraining rather than enabling. Local people were generally reluctant to request information from officials. NGOs had more complete information but complained about the administrative culture that does not encourage questioning or disseminating available data.

Consultation: Few officials saw discussing issues with local stakeholders as a priority. Most state organisations did not identify a need to engage in liaison or outreach to local people. One of the obstacles in this case was the lack of established social structures for stakeholders to address, few public forums and an absence of social readiness for greater participation, largely due to the lack of human, social and capital resource at the structural level.


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Case Study: recommendations for improving Governance in the North Coast of Morocco (Amsa) CoastNet proposes the following feasibility study for the empowerment of the fishing community of Amsa, in Northern Morocco. Small coastal fishing communities are amongst the poorer groups in Moroccan society. Amsa is a typical example, with low household incomes, poor education facilities and attainment, and declining access to the natural resources upon which livelihoods depend. In coastal areas in particular, there are also huge external pressures, which include, in North Morocco: extensive urbanisation, large‐scale infrastructures, unsustainable tourism, floods, overfishing, loss of sandy coastlines, maritime pollution, etc. Demographically, the province of Tetouan follows the pattern of the Southern coasts of the Mediterranean where most growth is occurring (United Nations Mediterranean Action Plan, 2002). Tourists double the population during peak periods resulting in an over‐extension of facilities that are costly in terms of space, investment and operations. Although the problems are most intense in urban coastal areas, rural coasts like Amsa are facing a rural exodus of youth while tourists are moving in with increasing cultural impacts on their lifestyle. The coastal population of Morocco passed from 9.4 million coastal inhabitants in 1982 to 14.8 in 2000 (ONEM, Moroccan National Observatory of the Environment). A recent study from the University of Cadiz shows how in the case of the province of Tetouan the population has nearly tripled in the last two decades. Fisheries, aquaculture and tourism all depend directly on the environmental quality of the coast. However, there is a strong contrast between traditional subsistence activities and the fast and large growing tourism activity in the province of Tetouan. The know‐how of the people of Amsa coupled with traditional practices for exploiting natural resources is part of their distinctive heritage and culture. But according to statistics from INRH (the National Fisheries Research Institute) commercial fish stocks have suffered great losses in the last decade, and their decline is having a strong impact on small traditional fishermen's livelihoods. There is a strong and urgent need to diversify their sources of income and take advantage of the opportunities from the tourism development sector. However, such developments and tourists desire for apartments on the beach should not be at the expense of traditional practices and respect for natural and cultural heritage. There is a strong need to prepare rural communities for the changes that are already taking place. They need to benefit from this development whilst making sure natural resources are not deteriorated or overexploited.


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Eco‐tourism is seen by many international institutions, such as IUCN and UNDP, as a way of capitalizing on natural resources in a way which also contributes to their preservation and sustainable management. However, putting this concept into practice is difficult, against a background of often poor administration and strong financial incentives for mass tourism. Consequently there is a need for exemplar projects to demonstrate sustainable approaches. In this project a community development approach is taken, which aims to balance economic growth against the value of traditional lifestyles. As another way to diversify fisher household's income, aquaculture represents a very good opportunity for the area and there are only two companies presently in the province of Tetouan, employing 40 persons. The Head of the National Aquaculture Centre explained to CoastNet the reason for this: there is little funding for knowledge transfer to communities and therefore most work is contracted by large private companies or Bilateral Development Agencies, all interested in research rather than in starting up small family aquaculture businesses. Access to water and sanitation systems is a larger problem in Morocco than in any other Mediterranean country according to the UN Mediterranean Blue Plan. This lack constrains not only improvements in health, but also tourism development. CoastNet has proposed a project that would support disadvantaged fishing communities to mitigate and adapt to the existing and upcoming impacts of coastal change and risks (decreasing fish stocks, tourism pressure, rural exodus or migration, loss of natural and cultural heritage) in the North coast of Africa. Through a process of learning and building local partnerships (with two environmental NGOs, a women’s association, schools, local government, university and the national fishing research centre), fishermen and their wives and families should be supported by:

1. Renovating traditional fishing gear and facilities and innovating through sustainable fishing techniques and diversifying their source of income by installing and building capacity to develop low impact aquaculture 2. Developing marine and coastal ecotourism attractions/educational resources to enhance the value of natural and cultural heritage 3. Strengthening a network of civil society from Tetouan province and Northern Africa that will promote similar good


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practice in rural coastal communities.

Coastal Management North Africa

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