ENVIRONMENT LAW

1. Course: LLB I
Subject : Environment Law
Unit: 4

2. COASTAL ZONE
Coast is the zone of interaction between
land and sea where both land & oceanic
processes works.
It is most dynamic, resourceful and disaster
prone zone of any country.
Coastal zone always include floodplains,
mangroves, marshes, and fringing coral
reefs.

3. COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
Coastal zone management involves
managing coastal areas to balance
environmental, economic, human health,
and human activities.
Coastal Management integrates the
biological, physical, and policy sciences to
plan and execute sustainable solutions for
environmental challenges where land meets
water.

4. INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT
ICZM is a process for the management of the coast
using an integrated approach, regarding all aspects
of the coastal zone, including geographical and
political boundaries, in an attempt to achieve
sustainability.
It is a dynamic, multidisciplinary and iterative
process to promote sustainable management of
coastal zones.
It covers the full cycle of information collection,
planning (in its broadest sense), decision making,
management and monitoring of implementation.

5. WHY COASTAL ZONE IS NEEDED
TO BE MANAGED?
The coast of Bangladesh is prone to natural disasters like
cyclone, storm surge and flood. The combination of natural
and man-made hazards, such as erosion, high arsenic
content in ground water, water logging, earthquake, water
and soil salinity, various forms of pollution, risks from climate
change, etc, have adversely affected lives and livelihoods in
the coastal zone and slowed down the pace of social and
economic developments in this region.
Due to lack of appropriate guidelines for natural resource
conservation and utilization, land use conflicts occur and the
coastal zone turned into areas of major conflicts.

6. Moreover the local communities have been haphazardly
utilizing these resources, resulting in complete destruction of
some of them (e.g. Chakaria Sundarban mangrove forest),
some being over-utilized (e.g. coastal shrimp farming, natural
fish stock) while some other resources remain under-utilized
(e.g. molluscs, seaweeds).
Increasing population, competition for limited resources,
natural and man-made hazards, lack of economic
opportunities, important ecological hot spots, etc, calls for
distinctive coastal management.
WHY COASTAL ZONE IS NEEDED
TO BE MANAGED?

7. SCOPE ICZM IN INDIA
Management of Coastal People
Management of Coastal Resources
Management of Coastal Economy
Management of Coastal Environment
Sustainable Management of all above
issues

8. Coastal Management Issues
Population Growth
Infrastructure
Demand/Supply Analysis
Analysis of Opportunity
Analysis of Challenges

9. ICZM — KEY TO COASTAL
DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
The goals of ICZM are:
Economic Growth
Poverty Reduction & Social Development
Achieving the targets of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).
Reduction of poverty
Development of sustainable livelihoods and the
integration of the coastal zone into national
processes can take place.

10. Inter-Sectoral Policy Linkages:
For ICZM following policies has been reviewed:
National Environment Policy (1992).
National Tourism Policy (1992).
National Forest Policy (1994).
National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation (1998).
National Fisheries Policy (1998).
National Agricultural Policy (1999).
Industrial Policy (1999).
National Water Policy (1999).
Draft National Land Use Policy (1999).
Draft National Wetlands Policy (1998).
All of these policies have clear implications for coastal development, but in
most cases do not have specific sections on coastal areas and often fail to
capture the distinctive combinations of vulnerabilities and opportunities that
characterize the coast.
ICZM — KEY TO COASTAL
DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

11. Coastal Planning Tools
Administrative
Policy and Legislation
Coastal Zoning
Regulation an Enforcement
Social
Customary Practice
Community Based Management
Capacity building
Technical
EIA
Risk and Hazard Management
Resource Analysis: Demand/Supply
Economic Analysis

12. Engineering Measures of ICZM
Protection from Storm
Protection from Shoreline Erosion
Protection of Coastal Water
(Pollution/Salinity)
Protection of Biodiversity

13. 1. COASTAL ZONE POLICY (CZPo), (2005)
The specific objectives of the Coastal Zone Policy are sharply
focused on pro-poor growth with due considerations to
environmental management and equity, as spelt out below:
Economic growth.
Meeting basis needs and creating livelihood opportunities for
coastal communities.
Reduction of vulnerabilities and enhancement of coping
capacities.
Equitable distribution of resources and economic benefits
across social strata.
Empowerment of coastal communities.
Women’s advancement and promotion of gender equality.
Sustainable management of natural resources.
Preservation and enhancement of critical ecosystems.

14. 2.COASTAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
(CDS), (2006)
The CDS is the linking pin between the CZPo and concrete
interventions. It prepares for coordinated priority actions and
arrangements for their implementation through selecting
strategic priorities and setting targets.
The CDS is a targeted process and the targeting is identified
with respect to:
1. Regions (islands and chars, exposed coastal zone or
districts; high tsunami risk area; South-West region);
2. Disadvantaged groups (erosion victims, women and
children, fisher and small farmers);
3. Issues (shrimp culture, land zoning; groundwater
management, climate change); and
4. Opportunities (tourism, renewable energy, marine fisheries)

15. 2. COASTAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
(CDS), (2006)
Nine strategic priorities, evolved through a consultation process,
guides interventions and investments in the coastal zone:
1. ensuring fresh and safe water availability
2. safety from man-made and natural hazards
3. optimizing use of coastal lands
4. promoting economic growth
5. sustainable management of natural resources
6. improving livelihood conditions of people; especially women
7. environmental conservation
8. empowerment through knowledge management
9. creating an enabling institutional environment

16. 3.PRIORITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM
(PIP), (2004)
The priority areas of investment program are:
Mitigation of natural disasters, safety and protection.
Environment management – protection and regeneration of the
environment.
Water resources management.
Rural livelihoods and sustainable economic opportunities for
coastal communities.
Productive economic activities and focused development of
tourism and fisheries sector.
Infrastructure development.
Social development including health and nutrition, education, and
water and sanitation.

17. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT
Holistic definition of coastal zone provides guidelines for
protection of water bodies and acquisition of land for non-
productive use.
Introduction of the concept of zoning as management.
Coastal Embankment Rehabilitation Project (CERP) was
launched after the cyclone of April 1991. CERP fostered the
concept of polder management involving other stakeholders
including the local community. Polders are now a natural
feature of the coastal hydro-morphological setting. Now 123
coastal polders have >5000km of embankments.

18. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT
The Forest Department started coastal afforestation in 1966. Vast
areas in newly accreted chars and islands were put under mangrove
plantation with the help of the local people. Forest belt along the
coast, Coastal Green Belt, has been instrumental in protecting life
and property in coastal areas from cyclone and storm surges.
People’s participation in planning is ensured by this type of project.
Institutionalization of integrated coastal management has been
attempted in recent years through a number of initiatives. The Char
Development & Settlement Project (CDSP), on-going since 1994,
may be mentioned in this respect. As many as six GoB agencies are
partners of CDSP. Together they have been able to demonstrate a
culture of working together coordinated by a lead Ministry/agency
(MoWR/BWDB). At the field (district) level, the coordination is done
through regular PMC meetings. This provides a good example of
inter-agency interaction and cooperation.

19. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS)
initiated Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) in the
early 1970s that eventually developed into a world
model of physical and institutional infrastructure for
disaster management in cyclone prone areas. More
than 2000 multi-purpose cyclone shelters were built so
far to provide security to the people in the vulnerable
areas. An extensive network of radio communication
contributes in cyclone preparedness of coastal
communities.
More than 50,000 ha of new lands were reclaimed
along the Noakhali coast through Meghna cross dams.
Subsequently, these newly accreted lands were used
for new settlements and socio-economic development
of the people.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT

20. KEY CHALLENGES COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT
Unclear definitions of land to be set aside for conservation.
Piecemeal efforts to address coastal management through policy.
Implementation of policy and strategy directives remains poor despite
adoption of CZP (2005) and CDS, (2006).
Widespread poverty, limited livelihood opportunities (especially outside
agriculture) and poorly developed economic linkages, including poor
access to national and international markets that are even more severe
than in other parts of rural Bangladesh.
Poor levels of service provision and very poorly developed institutional
structure (with both government and non-government institutions weakly
represented in many coastal communities) that make the isolation of many
coastal areas worse.
Highly unequal social structures, with small powerful elite dominating the
mass of people, allied to high levels of conflict and poor law and order.

21. KEY CHALLENGES COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT
Active processes of land erosion and accretion in the Meghan Estuary
combined with geological and tectonic processes that are causing land to
sink.
Changing patterns of land use, both in the coastal zone (including the
growth of shrimp and salt production) and over the catchment as a whole
that are affecting the coast’s morphology and water resources
characteristics.
Declining viability of many distinctive and threatened coastal ecosystems,
including the Sundarbans and other mangroves, coastal wetlands and
marshes, and offshore marine habitats that are important spawning
grounds.
Widespread pollution and resource degradation, including ‘hotspots’ such
as the coast north of Chittagong as well as areas affected by more
widespread processes.

22. Poor access to many forms of infrastructure and technologies
and many examples of technical interventions that are poorly
adapted to the characteristics of coastal areas.
Surface and sub-surface Stalinization, including saline intrusion
into freshwater aquifers some distance from the coast.
Poor resource management, including the unsustainable
exploitation of fish resources and poor ground and surface water
management.
Rapid decline in key common property resources such as marine
fisheries, mangroves and freshwater resources.
The long-term effects of climate change, with predicted rises in
sea levels, possible increases in the frequency of major storms
and changes in rainfall patterns over the whole Ganges-
Brahmaputra basins.
KEY CHALLENGES COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT

23. KEY INITIATIVES NEEDED FOR THE COASTAL
ZONE MANAGEMENT
• Generation of information and filling
knowledge gaps through-
 Coastal Resources Survey
 Integrated Coastal Resources Database
 Modeling Tools
 Information dissemination
 Capacity Building

24. KEY INITIATIVES NEEDED FOR THE COASTAL
ZONE MANAGEMENT
Dissemination of information to assist decision-making:
Fragmented management of coastal resources and restricted
sharing of information have resulted in poor awareness and
knowledge among coastal dwellers (Sekhar, 2005). It is therefore
important to disseminate information among all stakeholders and
ensure their active participation.
Harmonizing sectoral policies, plans and laws: Lack of
coordination between different local agencies and power structures
often makes it difficult to implement integrated programmes. If
departmental goals are in conflict, effective participation in integrated
programmes by the agencies involved may be awkward (Sekhar,
2005). Therefore, harmonizing national policies and mainstreaming
the ICZM approach into sectoral policies is of great importance.

25. Appreciation of ecosystem linkages: Linkages among
coastal, marine and freshwater systems (watersheds, river
basins) are increasingly becoming recognized as critical to
the successful management of coastal systems.
Improved governance: Overall improvement of governance
is important to ensure accountability and transparency in
coastal zone management. Enactment of coastal legislation
might be important in curbing conflicting and environmentally
detrimental activities (Olsen and Christie, 2000).
Ensuring sustained political support: Sustained political
support is indispensable to the success of the ICZM process.
To generate such political and public support, demonstration
of integrated regional and local programmes is important.
KEY INITIATIVES NEEDED FOR THE COASTAL
ZONE MANAGEMENT

26. References:
1. COASTAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (CDS), (2006)
2. PRIORITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM (PIP), (2004)
3. Coastal Zone Management Act, 1972

27. THANK YOU