Coastal Zone Management Centre
The Netherlands Coastal Zone Management
Centre provides worldwide support for proper coastal zone management planning
and services for sustainable development in coastal zones.
Tasks:
- information dissemination and exchange, including the
development, implementation and maintenance of NetCoast;
- harmonization of assessment and planning methodologies for
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM);
- provision of support for the development and improvement of
ICZM concepts, methodologies and planning tools;
- organization and coordination of training programmes;
- organization of conferences, seminars and multilateral
development projects;
- contributing to the activities of the IPCC-CZMS sub-group, by
serving as its secretariat, supporting the Dutch co-chair of IPCC CZM Working
Group and coordinating activities like the IPCC Vulnerability Assessment
reports
The Coastal Zone Management Centre in
the Netherlands functions as an information database on global, regional and
national activities relating to the sustainable development of coasts. It is
also a reference centre for:
- initiatives and activities contributing to the development of
CZM programmes;
- international organizations involved in coastal zone
management;
- coastal states wishing to develop coastal zone programmes.
Setting:
The
CZM Centre is a part of - and is located within - the National Institute for
Coastal and Marine Management (RIKZ), a sub-division of the Netherlands Ministry
of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. The National Institute for
Coastal and Marine Management (RIKZ) aims to promote the sustainable development
and use of Dutch estuaries, coastal zones and seas and to protect the country
against pollution and flooding from the sea.
History:
Throughout history, the Dutch
have fought a constant battle against the sea. The challenge of building a
society in this vulnerable, low-lying deltaic area, more than half of which lies
below mean sea level, has led to the development of innovative approaches to
coastal zone management. Early approaches were mainly technological, social and
economic - and therefore sectorally oriented - but over the years there has been
a growing awareness that approaches should also include sustainability in an
environmental sense and thus demand integration.
As a
result, a well-planned system of dikes and strengthened dunes has been created,
supported by coherent physical planning on an national scale and strong
mechanisms for inter-agency cooperation developed over the years. This has made
it possible to convert low-lying marshy areas into productive agricultural land
or densely populated urban areas while maintaining a balance between
socio-economic aspirations and environmental quality.
This has required an integrated approach and prompted the establishment
of the Coastal Zone Management Centre by 6 Dutch ministries, reflecting the
interactive nature of the field. The six Dutch cooperating ministeries
are:
Ministery of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management (V&W) Ministery of Education and Science (O&W) Ministery of
International Cooperation (DGIS) Ministery of Agriculture, Nature Management and
Fisheries (LNV) Ministery of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment (VROM)
Ministery of Economic Affairs (EZ)
These ministries
actively support the Centre. Our experience in the field of integrated coastal
zone management can be shared with other coastal nations and help resolve
coastal issues in areas with similar problems. The growing need for regional and
global cooperation in the management of coastal areas and the recent repeated
calls for stronger international action to promote the concept of Integrated
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) led the Dutch government to establish the Coastal
Zone Management (CZM) Centre following the World Coast Conference (WCC) held in
the Netherlands in the autumn of 1993.
NetCoast is a network for coastal zone
management and related policy and research areas operated by the Dutch Coastal
Zone Management Centre.
Information
Source
Prepared by ...
Mr
P. C. Beukenkamp
The Coastal Zone Management Centre
c/o National Institute for Coastal
and Marine Management/RIKZ
P.O. Box 20907,
2500 ex The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone +31 703
114311/364 Facsimile +31 703 114
380
E-Mail
[email protected] Web URL
http://www.minvenw.nl/projects/index.htm