Challenging The “Man” In Mangroves: The Missing Role Of Women In Mangrove Conservation

Mangroves provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, pollution filtration, and protection from tsunamis, tropical storms, and coastal erosion. They also supply coastal communities with important natural resources like firewood, medicine, timber, honey, and fodder for livestock. Unfortunately, the world’s mangroves are rapidly degrading due to rising coastal population, climate change, and destruction for coastal development, agriculture, and aquaculture. Considering their value for the environment and coastal communities, mangrove conservation should become a priority and effort must be invested to find new and successful methods for conserving mangrove ecosystems. As it has proven effective in other conservation contexts, a gendered perspective on mangrove conservation should be adopted. Through review and synthesis of existing literature on gender and mangrove conservation, this paper will show the extent to which gender analysis has been used to examine mangrove conservation and coastal resource management. It will describe the following trends in literature: a) a lack of research focusing on gender’s role in mangrove conservation, b) confusion about the practical applications of a gender, environment, and development (GED) conceptual framework c) little effort to evaluate the success of programs that integrate gender and mangrove conservation. It will make suggestions for future research and encourage further use of a gendered outlook on mangrove conservation and resource management

A Global Map of Coastal Recreation Values: Results From a Spatially Explicit Based Meta-Analysis

The welfare dimension of the recreational services provided by global coastal ecosystems is examined through a meta-analytical regression-based valuation approach. First, we construct a global, state-of-the-art database of stated and revealed preference estimates on coastal recreation, which includes also the grey literature and with the latest entry updated to February 2010. Second, the profile of each of the 253 observations of our dataset, which correspond to individual value estimates, was further enriched with characteristics of the built coastal environment (site accessibility, anthropogenic pressure, level of human development), characteristics of the natural coastal environment (presence of protected area, type of ecosystem, and marine biodiversity richness), geo-climatic factors (temperature and precipitation), as well as sociopolitical characteristics, such as the political stability index. In this context, the proposed meta-analytical valuation exercise explores the spatially explicit dimension of the values building upon Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. GIS are relied upon for the spatial characterization of the valued ecosystems, the determination of the role of spatially explicit variables in the meta analytical value transfer model, as well as for the value transfer exercise. The GIS characterization is observed to be extremely significant in explaining the spatial diversity of the estimates values and underlying explanatory factors. The resulting integrated valuation framework constitutes a worldwide première and it results in the first global map of the recreational value of coastal ecosystems. We argue that the presented global map may play an important role in studying the prioritization for the conservation of coastal areas from a social perspective.Built Coastal Environment, Natural Coastal Environment, Ecosystem Service Valuation, Geographic Information Systems, Mapping Ecosystem Values, Marine Biodiversity, Scaling up, Spatial Analysis, Spatial Economic Valuation, Value Transfer

A Global Map of Costal Recreation Values: results from a spatially explicit meta-analysis

The welfare dimension of the recreational services provided by global coastal ecosystems is examined through a meta-analytical regression based valuation approach. First, we construct a global, state-of-the-art database of stated and revealed preference estimates on coastal recreation, which includes also the grey literature and with the latest entry updated to February 2010. Second, the profile of each of the 253 observations of our dataset, which correspond to individual value estimates, was further enriched with characteristics of the built coastal environment (site accessibility, anthropogenic pressure, level of human development), characteristics of the natural coastal environment (presence of protected area, type of ecosystem, and marine biodiversity richness), geo-climatic factors (temperature and precipitation), as well as sociopolitical characteristics, such as the political stability index. In this context, the proposed meta-analytical valuation exercise explores the spatially explicit dimension of the values building upon Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. GIS are relied upon for the spatial characterization of the valued ecosystems, the determination of the role of spatially explicit variables in the meta-analytical value transfer model, as well as for the value transfer exercise. The GIS characterization reveals to be extremely significant in explaining the spatial diversity of the estimates values and underlying explanatory factors. The resulting integrated valuation framework constitutes a worldwide première and it results in the first global map of the recreational value of coastal ecosystems. We argue that the presented global map may play an important role in studying the prioritization for the conservation of coastal areas from a social perspective.Built coastal environment, Natural coastal environment, Ecosystem service valuation, Geographic Information Systems, Mapping ecosystem values, Marine biodiversity, Scaling up, Spatial analysis, Spatial economic valuation, Value transfer

Coastal tourism. The economy and the environment

The environment is a major component in the tourist production and the tourist product. This is particularly evident in the case of coastal tourism. However, for the natural resources to be part of the tourist product, important transformations are needed in the space. That is why we say that tourist development involves the creation of a tourist territory. However, when the regional transformations define the tourist model and intensity of the natural resources, we also define the model and intensity of the environmental impact of the tourist development, with the subsequent loss in the quality of the tourist product. In front of this loss, any policies aiming at improving the quality of the tourist product must include obligatory regional planning performance, that is, a regional planning policy.

Quantitative Methodology for Measuring Natural Character in New Zealand's Coastal Environments

Anecdotal evidence points to an overall loss of coastal natural character in New Zealand since preserving the natural character of the coastal environment first became a statutory policy-goal in 1973. Today the preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment is one of the matters of national importance in the Resource Management Act 1991 (development control legislation) and one of the purposes of the Reserves Act 1977 (protected area legislation). There has, however, been no quantitative measurement or systematic monitoring of changes in overall natural character. The purpose of this thesis has been to develop a robust quantitative methodology for measuring natural character and its change using a consistent framework across terrestrial, freshwater and marine coastal environments. While methodology development took place in Northland, New Zealand, the methodology has been designed to be applied throughout New Zealand. With modification it would also have applicability in other countries. A comprehensive definition of natural character was developed for the New Zealand environmental, legal and policy contexts that also addressed the role of perception. Court decisions on appeals lodged under the Resource Management Act were found to be generally consistent with this definition. The Quantitative Index for measuring the Natural Character of the Coastal Environment (QINCCE) methodology was developed using indicators (and environment-specific parameters) derived from the comprehensive definition of natural character. A consistent framework is used for measuring natural character across terrestrial, freshwater and marine coastal environments. The methodology can be applied at a range of scales and for a range of purposes. For each broad class of coastal environment there is a core set of parameters that are used to calculate three sub-indices for each plan-view unit: • An ecological naturalness index (ENI) • A hydrological and geomorphological naturalness index (HGNI) • A freedom from buildings and structures index (FBSI) These three sub-indices are combined to give an overall natural character index (NCI) for each unit, which can be multiplied by 100 to give a natural character score between 0 and 100. Second tier parameters and alternative measurement perspectives have been developed for those situations where additional detail is required. Several key parameters are measured relative to the reference condition present-potential natural state. One is Score representing progress towards present-potential cover where present-potential cover is the terrestrial and aquatic land cover that would be present today had natural processes proceeded without the arrival of humans, the species they introduced and the consequential changes to the environment. Scoring tables for measuring progress towards present-potential cover have been developed for eastern Northland. Hydrological and geomorphological naturalness is assessed relative to the equivalent present-potential natural state. Protocols for addressing interactions between the hydrological and geomorphological, and cover parameters have been developed. This includes distinguishing between natural versus human-induced, and on-site versus off-site sources of disturbance. As part of the methodology refinement process, 113 “informed” participants scored their perceptions of natural character for 40 coastal environment photographs. These perceived scores were compared with scores calculated for the same photographs using the QINCCE methodology applied using an oblique Viewpoint perspective. The results assisted with the subsequent refinement of the scoring protocols for some parameters, and the construction and combination of the QINCCE indices

Coastal area management in South Asia: a comparative perspective (Background Paper prepared for South Asia Workshop on Fisheries and Coastal Area Management, 26 September-1 October 1996, Madras, India)

Most of the world's fisheries and fishing communities are supported by coastal areas. Consequently, the well-being and future of the fishery sector depend on the health of the coastal ecosystem. Not surprisingly, therefore, concern about coastal degradation and its impact on the fishery sector has long been expressed, notably at the first-ever conference of fishworkers and their supporters in Rome in 1984. Discussions then emphasized how the coastal environment is affected by activities within the fisheries sector as well as by other activities pursued in inland, inshore and offshore areas. It was in this context that the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) organized a workshop and symposium on Fisheries and Coastal Area Management in South Asia, in Madras, India, in 1996. To aid participants focus on the major coastal resources management issues, a background paper was prepared by ICSF. This paper explores efforts on coastal area management, more specifically in the South Asian region, and the extent to which the perspectives of actors in the fishery sector have been incorporated. It also deals with legislation of direct relevance to Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM)

Extended Benefit-Cost Analysis of Management Alternatives: Pagbilao Mangrove Forest

Mangroves are important fish hatcheries. It prevents coastal erosion and provides timber resources. However, it limits land access to coastal and fishpond areas. This article presents a cost-benefit analysis on mangrove preservation.natural resources and environment, environmental issues

A framework for future training in marine and coastal protected area management

Training, Protected areas, Marine environment, Coastal zone management

Waste management in the coastal areas of the ASEAN region: roles of governments, banking institutions, donor agencies, private sector and communities

Waste disposal, Marine pollution, Pollution control, Coastal zone management, Environment management, ASEAN,