Governance

Governance, traditionally viewed as something governments do, is now interpreted as more of a process which requires active partnerships among all sections of civil society and aspects. Governance is the shared, collective effort of governments, private businesses, civic organisations, communities, political parties, academia, media and the general public. In this wider definition, governance is less top-down and more bottom-up, as well as horizontal, within the same industry. Weak governance at any level, or among any group, will therefore significantly undermine results.

Governance of coastal resources occurs not only at the national level but also at the local level and can be more or less formal. In the event of an unforeseen natural disaster or event which calls for immediate measures, governance often occurs ad hoc and can often be conflictive. MFF encourages pro-active interactive governance which is integrated and consultative, as well as the establishment strategic networks. MFF has therefore adopted governance as one of its main pillar under which five programmes of work have been developed:

11. Establish effective, participatory national ICM programmes.

12. Support land use planning which recognises both ecosystem and community needs, and is based on the effective enforcement of environmental regulations.

13. Establish national systems of effectively managed coastal and marine protected areas that contribute to a regional network.

14. Use ecological and socio-economic impact assessment and adaptive management.

15. Promote environmentally sustainable business practices.

"Integrated coastal management can be defined as a continuous and dynamic process by which decisions are taken for the sustainable use, development, and protection of coastal and marine areas and resources. ICM acknowledges the interrelationships that exist among coastal and ocean uses and the environments they potentially affect, and is designed to overcome the fragmentation inherent in the sectoral management approach. ICM is multi-purpose oriented, it analyzes and addresses implications of development, conflicting uses, and interrelationships between physical processes and human activities, and it promotes linkages and harmonization among sectoral coastal and ocean activities"

(Cicin-Sain and Knecht, 1998).