COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS, PRODUCTIVITY AND ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION - COASTAL ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

The coastal zone is a complex ecosystem under the influence of physica l, chemical and biological processes. Under natural conditions these p rocesses interact and maintain an equilibrium in the coastal ecosystem . Man makes a variety of important uses of coastal resources, ranging from harvesting of living resources, extraction of nonliving resources , and recreation, to the disposal of wastes. Man's extensive use of th e oceans introduces factors which bring about an imbalance in the natu ral processes, and may result in harmful and hazardous effects to life hindering further use. Man's pressure on the resources of the coastal zone is already manifest and will increase manifold. This calls for a n immediate solution to the protection and sustainable use of coastal resources. The current sectorized approach to the management of human activities will not solve the problem because the different resources of the coastal zone interact in such a manner that disturbances in one cause imbalance in the others. This is further complicated by the sec torized approach to research and limited communication between policy makers, managers, and scientists. This paper discusses strategies for managing coastal-resources use through an integrated approach. The coa stal zone is presented as a unified ecosystem in equilibrium and shows that man's extensive use of the coastal resources destabilizes this e quilibrium. Examples from the Eastern Africa Region are presented.