Coastal Management and Its Effect on the Population in both Ghana and South Africa - Research Paper Example

?Compare Contrast and Analyze the Coastal Management and Its Effect on the Population in both Ghana and South Africa Table of Contents 0Introduction 3 2.0Coastal Management 4 3.0 Effect of Coastal Management on the Population in Ghana 7 4.0 Effect of Coastal Management on the Population in South Africa 10 5.0Conclusion 14 References 15 Bibliography 18 1.0 Introduction Coastal management was started in order to protect the coastal areas near sea shores. The coastal management is considered as a vital factor that needs to be conducted around the world in order to maintain ecosystem. Due to various man made operations there has been continuous exploitation of natural resources. The destruction of various authentic resources throughout the world leads to reduction of population growth and development of certain coastal industries. The destructive activities performed by individual lead to destroying of the coastline resources of the countries. In this paper, the coastal management systems of South Africa and Ghana have been discussed precisely by considering all the significant facts about its coastal areas. The reasons for the destruction of the coastal areas of Ghana and South Africa have been explained and how those have impacted on the people and business located there, are also discussed. 2.0 Coastal Management Coastal management comprises of the coastal resource management, coastal zone management and integrated coastal zone management that relates to formal or informal practices, economies, rules, technologies as well as interaction among natural resources and humans who are located near sea coast. The coastal management also includes the way through which the resources are utilized and protected1. In the coastal management process, there are five phases such as identification of issue as well as evaluation of baseline. The second phase includes the preparation as well as adoption of coastal resource management, in the third phase there is an action plan along with implementation of project. The fourth phase is the monitoring and evaluation, and the last phase comprises of information management, outreach and education1. The term ‘Coastal Management’ came into being after United States Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 was implemented. According to this act, sectoral management approach was not operating effectively, that was developed to focus on the individual resources such as fisheries, and other activities such as transport. Then the idea came to develop a coastal management approach with definite plans that primarily focus on particular issues related to national along with local importance. From that period new coastal management approach was applied in various situations all around the world2. The activities of coastal management takes place both in the direct land-sea border as well as in wider area of indirect influence of sea on land as well as land on sea. It also involves organizing the production of intertidal organisms and co-ordination of various sectors along with management agencies that have a direct along with indirect influence on the coast. The management of coast facilitates synchronization between the sectors and agencies. It also helps to develop the capability for integration of coastal consideration to the particular work2. Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) is considered as inter as well as trans-disciplinary approach of management, which was first initiated from the year 1970. The main objective was settlement of the conflicts of coastal stakeholders and to attain sustainable coastal development. Integrated coastal management is referred as the process by which several marine as well as coastal environments are managed in order to provide broad range of needs of bio-diversity protection along with sustainable use by facilitating the stakeholders to participate in the management programs3. MPA (Marine Protected Areas) is considered as an essential component of integrated coastal management program. They help in the protection of biodiversity as well as ecological processes in which human beings are dependent on coastal zone. As a result they play a major role in sustainable development along with economic benefits. The management of MPA is synchronized and incorporated into the activities of management exterior to the boundaries and are associated with the programs development that relates to the need of local people. Certain large as well as multiple-use MPAs are quite similar to that of ICM programs. They allow for utilization of varieties of marine as well as coastal resources within a specific area and also involve several stakeholders in the process of management. Thus, MPA facilitates to catalyze the expansion of ICM planning in the region3. 3.0 Effect of Coastal Management on the Population in Ghana The coastal area resources available in Ghana are under a delicate ecosystem. The recent developments and pressures created on the natural resources by human are gradually degrading the ecosystem of Ghana. The coastal region is under risk due to high rate of urbanization due to migration as well as huge growth of population. Population which resides in the coastline is affected by industrialization and increased rate of economic related activities. The coastal zone of Ghana from the east towards west is covered with well developed natural resources. The resources were already destroyed by various economic sectors. There is a huge environmental degradation in the coastal areas of Ghana and it has become one of the major issues of Environment Action Plan. However, the rise in degradation of natural resources in coastal areas also led to increase in poverty. The development of population in that area has been affected by rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, and poverty along with health of people4. During the year 1996 and 1997, in the coastal areas of Ghana, bank-assisted workshops were organized. The main reason for conducting such workshop was to increase awareness level among the coastal communities in order to make proper management of the coastal ecosystem. There are other reasons as well for the workshop such as recognition of prior need to coastal communities, identification of cost-effective methods to manage the needs and finally to support coastal communities in framing a small method while attending the issues. This workshop had an influence among the people located near the coastal areas. The population of those areas is dependent on coastal industries and fishing as well as other related professions as their source of income. The coastal proper way of management assists the people to overcome the challenges that they faced due to degradation of natural resources near the coastal areas5. The development of marine and coastal policy in Ghana had started since the 15th century when the coast and sea were considered as the prime factor of trading between Ghanaian partners and Europeans. The sustainable management of coastline as well as marine resources was consistent with the improvement plan of government of Ghana. The action and development plan of the government is aimed towards making Ghana into a middle income country by 2020. As a result, the recent coastal along with marine policies are being drafted to understand precisely about the complexities that existed between coastal resources as well as coastal population. This also explains how particular political, economic and social, along with technical factor is related6. Moreover, the coastal areas of Ghana require protection in order to save the people residing in those areas and also to safeguard the coastal industries such as fishing and salt industries. If the coastal areas remain unprotected then it can cause loss of cultural as well as archaeological sites in coastal areas. It can also cause reduction in the number of possible future growth sites. Thus, coastal management procedures facilitate the areas to overcome such shortcomings. People who stay near coastal regions are safeguarded by implementing such management program7. Ghana selected five areas of coastal wetland by the assistance of World Bank and Global Environmental Facility near the area of Ramsar. The place was well known for fishing as well as roosting and nesting along with feeding location for water birds. Ghana Coastal Wetlands Management Project (GCWMP) had been started with Ghana Wildlife Department with an intention to study regarding the sustainable management of resources in the sites near Ramsar. The sustainable growth of the area brings enhanced growth to the fisheries industry. The management of ‘lagoon fisheries’ was based on understanding of the socio-economic environment of fisheries, biological knowledge regarding the resources as well as capture qualities of fisheries. The fishing is the main business of the people there, thus proper maintenance of ecosystem in the place may facilitate to generate growth8. 4.0 Effect of Coastal Management on the Population in South Africa The coastline of South Africa comprises of adequate resources with regard to the need of the people. Even though there is a limited resource in South Africa, the coast has considerably superior value and significance. In 1998, there was a greater benefit from the coastal “goods and services” in South Africa. It was estimated to around R168 billion yearly from the coastal areas which was equal to 35% of annual Gross Domestic Product. The wealth which was present within coast areas was wasted due to environmentally insensitive expansion as well as activities. The economical along with social opportunities due to development of wealth and equity were neglected as a result there was degradation of coastal ecosystem2. In South Africa, since the year 1970 the coastal management has experienced various transformations and faced several phases. The integrated coastal management development culminated in the tool that has the ability to identify social, ecological, economic associations within the land border as well as the ocean. The act was generally established for the national vision for the coast that involves derivation of benefits from the resources of coastal area without compromising the capability of upcoming generations to acquire the benefits9. The coastal management of South Africa has gradually been changed. There were important factors that assisted towards the change. The change from apartheid into democracy provided window of political based opportunity for the growth of deliberative as well as mutual approach towards making of coastal policy. The Coastal Management Policy Program (CMPP) has been developed for the building of coastal policy along with its stakeholders for holding support from Government and Cabinet. For initiating the CMPP, financial aid was provided by the government of Britain. The policy was aligned with leading political program in South Africa for abolition of poverty, transferring the issues of coastal areas toward centre-stage from political margin and prompted the government to spend considerably in coastal management. The small group of people with strong vision, activism and commitment from different sectors as well as organizations act a significant role in changing the integrated coastal management10. The coast is the national asset of South Africa. The White Paper policy entails that it was essential to recognize that coast provides opportunities in order to build the nation as well as to transform the economy and society. The coast assists to improve the quality of life of both present and future generations of individual in South Africa. The policy by partnership with South Africans created sustainable development of coastal areas by means of coastal management methods. The White Paper policy was started in 1997 and it created Costal Policy Green Paper in the year 1998 and Draft White Paper in the year 1999 for Sustainable Coastal Development in South Africa. The Green Paper included the information of the environment on the coast as well as coastal management. The White Paper intended to focus on the setting of policy that includes principles, objectives, goals and vision along with Plan of Action for execution2. The White Paper places a policy by means of integrated coastal management system for the attainment of sustainable coastal development in South Africa. Sustainable coastal development implies to increase the ability of present and future generations for realizing their individual potential with an intention to maintain varied, healthy as well as productive coastal ecosystem. The coastal management has contributed for attaining the commitment of constitution in an attempt to improve the quality of life of every individual by defending the natural environment. There is a greater benefit that would be achieved from the coastal area by sustainable development of ecosystems as it provides various goods as well as services that includes sea food and tourism2. The integrated Coastal Management (ICM) is one of the key processes to manage coast and in South Africa it assists in co-ordination as well as integration of management as well as sustainable utilization of the coastal resources of the country. The Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Act provides equal access to the rich, varied and valuable coastline of South Africa. It also facilitates to utilize the resources that are socially, economically as well as ecologically sustainable. There are various components of coastal zone in South Africa. It comprises of coastal public related property, coastal protection zone, coastal access land, and special management related areas along with other environment aspects. The protection of coastal areas of South Africa consists of several people to involve in it. Under Section 58, the user of coastal public property, owners as well as occupiers of land, coastal managers, and responsible persons needs to develop various measures for protecting the coastal areas and environment in line with ‘NEMA section 28’. The section 59 allows the minister of the government to issue notice related to coastal protection that includes requirements of measures to be adopted so as to protect the coastal environment. The notice also include that no individual has the right to develop any activity that may create adverse affect on the citizen of South Africa and obstruct them from enjoying the property of coastal areas. Under section 61, minister of the government has the right to issue notice regarding the repair or elimination of unlawful and deserted coastal structures11. 5.0 Conclusion With reference to the above discussion about the coastal management, it has been observed that this type of management was established for the prevention of destroyable natural resources in countries. The coastal areas of South Africa and Ghana were destroyed extensively. There was a huge environmental degradation in Ghana by various economic sectors. Various workshops were conducted so as to protect the culture and archeological sites of that area. The coastal area is considered as a national asset of South Africa. A policy of White Paper was started in South Africa which recognizes that coast is the major element for country’s development. The coast of a country provides the population with various valuable resources for the future and present generations. The integrated coastal management was established in the country with an intention to protect the coastal regions as it is much limited. For the maintenance of coastal areas coastal management act and other related acts of coastline have been developed by the government of Ghana and South Africa. However, the people need to be concerned and aware regarding the maintenance of coastal areas as it is an asset of a country and helps in country’s development. Thus, it can be concluded that as coastal areas of a country provide various valuable resources and assist it to grow thus those need to be maintained properly. The destruction of natural resources brings no positive impact on society rather humans themselves in turn become victims of it. 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