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PROTECTING COASTL RESOURCES A Planned Solution in Israel and Eastern Mediterranean Countries
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he coastal zone is an area of intense activity within and between geomorphic, hiological, cultural, and economic processes. It is composed of m u l t i p l e i n t e r a c t i n g systems-terrestrial and marine. Changes in any part of the systems, such as changes to the quality or quantity of water flows, or sediment
VALERIE BRACHYA Israel Ministry of the Environment 91061 Jerusalem, Isroel
1268 Environ. Sci. Technoi., Voi. 27, No. 7,1993
transport, can generate multiple offsite impacts. Management of the coastal zone must entail both guiding and responding to complex changes that may be sudden or gradual, natural or manmade, and local and intense or dispersed and accumulative. Intense competition for coastal resources generates many conflicts over land and sea space and proximity to the coastline, between competing uses that cannot coexist in harmony, between public and private interests, between short-term local aspirations and long-term na-
tional or international goals of resource conservation, and over inadequate public services and infrastructure. The purpose of coastal zone management is to provide an overall, multidisciplinary, dynamic framework that can help decision makers solve current problems and guide them when they consider the implications of proposed projects and plans. Integrated coastal management The need for integrated coastal zone management (ICZM] in Israel
0013-936X/93/0927-1268$04.00/0 0 1993 American Chemical Society
was recognized more than 20 years ago. Roughly 70% of the population and economic activities of the country are concentrated in a narrow strip along the Mediterranean coastline. Plans for population dispersal did not succeed in reducing development pressures along the coastal strip, and land use conflicts among urban use, tourism, the infrastructure, and nature conservation are intensifying (1). Israel has the appropriate prerequisites for ICZM. First, it has an effective land use planning system whereby development rights belong to the state. Onshore and offshore development and changes in land use require permission. Second, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a statutorily binding procedure within the land use planning system (2).Major development proposals, for example, for ports and marinas, are subject to the EIA procedure according to 1982 regulations. Third, almost all the lands along the coast, the shoreline itself, and the sea bed are publicly managed lands under the auspices of the Israel Lands Authority. Fourth, environmental concerns are accepted by the planning authorities as an integral part of their responsibilities. The National Planning and Building Board issued two directives requiring the preparation of national plans for Israel’s Mediterranean coastline. The first, approved in 1983, proposed land use designations on the landward side of the coastline. An outstanding regulation of the plan was the prohibition of any building within 100 m of the shoreline, which has very effectively stopped development on the beach (3, 4 ) . The Board followed the land use plan with a more detailed resource management plan for the coastline. The second directive stipulated that the plan be based on a thorough survey and analysis of onshore and offshore coastal resources, and that it define regulations designed to harness development potential and ensure the long-term conservation of coastal resources. A multidisciplinary team was commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment to prepare the plan. Geomorphological, vegetative, landscape, and archaeological surveys provided a n inventory of coastal resources ( 5 ) .With the assistance of the team of experts, the planners synthesized guidelines for development that could harmonize with the complex and dynamic
coastal processes (see box, p, 1270). The overall aims of the plan were translated into site-specific regulations on the basis of the suitability and sensitivity of coastal resources. Each site designated for beach use, tourist accommodation, and recreational use was allocated a level of “intensity of development.” The level reflected the type of recreation and the degree of environmental impacts likely to be generated. A similar concept was applied to the planning policy for development at river mouths. The visitor capacity was calculated for each site according to its intensity of development. Detailed regulations on permitted building, necessary infrastructure, and parking facilities were defined in accordance with the calculation of capac-
Roughly 70% of Israel’s population and economic activities are concentrated in a narrow ~
strip along the Mediterranean coast. ity. In several areas-for example, where resources had potential that could not currently be utilized or where alternative types or levels of development could be permittedthe plan proposed two or three alternative forms of acceptable development. The plan was prepared under the guidance of an interministerial committee that included representatives of developmental and conservation interests. Although many proposals were controversial, the committee managed to come to a consensus and presented a document for statutory approval to the National Planning and Building Board in 1991.
Geographic Information System The nature of coastal zone management calls for the application of a Geographic Information System (GIs), a computer-based system for spatial analysis and geographic data management, The Israel Ministry of the Environment used a PC platform and a program developed by the Environmental Systems Research Institute in the United States called ARC/
INFO, to build a database for land and sea uses and for areas of natural, landscape, and archaeological value. The coastal database is being transformed into a dynamic system for ongoing coastal zone management; it will provide information needed to formulate conservation policies and to assess the potential environmental impacts of alternative planning proposals. Future applications will incorporate the modeling capabilities of GIS and will require further data on geomorphological, hydrological, hydraulic, and geological processes.
Eastern Mediterranean prospects From Turkey through Syria, Lebanon, and Israel to Egypt and the island of Cyprus there is increasing interest in integrated coastal zone management (7).Physically, shoreline characteristics range from the highly indented coastlines of Turkey and parts of Cyprus to the smooth sand shores of Egypt and Israel. However, common management issues can be found, such as beach erosion, often generated by sand removal for building or by offshore structures impeding sediment flows; unstable cliff shores; encroachment of development on the seashore; and pollution or development that threatens long-term conservation or ecological resources. The eastern Mediterranean does not have the main ecological coastal resources typical of tropical coastlines (coral reefs and mangroves) or temperate coastlines (wetlands). Areas of ecological interest are coastal sand dunes (e.g., southeast of Lattakia in Syria) and rocky shorelines (e.g., Habonim-Dor in Israel). Areas identified as having high natural landscape value are typically the cliff and sandy cove beaches characteristic of Paphos in Cyprus and Bassit and Jableh in Syria. Pressures of urban and, more recently, tourist and second home development have generated competition for space along the coastline. Several countries in addition to Israel have imposed coastal building regulations. For example, in Cyprus no building should be permitted within 200-300 ft of the coast; in Turkey land 10-30 m from the coast is designated as public land; and in Syria a regulation has been proposed that would ban buildings within 50 m of the shoreline. Turkey and Israel have initiated EIA systems. Syria has a proposed EIA system and coastal resources
Environ. Sci. Technol., Vol. 27, No. 7, 1993 1269
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iuidelines for development of Israel's offshore coastal resourcesa
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1. Development other than that for which a coastal location is esse1 should not be permitted along the coast and its immediate hinterland. 2. Policies for resource protection should range from absolute protec within a designated reserve to the protection of natural, landscape, and chaeological values within areas designated for low- intensity developmen 3. Policies for recreation and tourist development should encourage me provision of a variety of facilities onshore and offshore for intensive and extensive day activities and overnight accommodation. 4. Intensive recreation and tourist development of the hinterland should be confined to centers. In order to protect as much open space as possible, linear development along the coastline should not be permitted. 5. New non-urban sites with recreation potential should be designated low-intensity levels of development. 6. Offshore construction of breakwaters for recreation and water sport tivities should be restricted to urban centers. 7. The public should have access on foot along and to the coastline. 'Israel Ministry of the Environment (6).
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ianagement plan that specifies-as oes t h e I s r a e l i resource planriorities such as tourist uses along le coastline, a resource-based aproach, and the allocation of inten.ty of development according t o mying capacity ( 8 ) . Cyprus has ,me similar planning policies and l a n d use planning system. Turkey, p i a , and Israel have a l l taken inia l steps-some problem-oriented nd some inventory-oriented-to jtablish GIS capabilities for coastal lanning and management (9). Open boundaries in the M i d d l e ast could create conditions favorble t o tourism in historic ports and iarinas. Transboundary roads and ,ails could again make the area a bridge" between Africa, Asia, and u r o p e . C o m p e t i t i o n f o r space rould undoubtedly intensify mong the need for road a n d r a i l failities, the role of the Mediterraean ports as transport nodes, ura n development s t i m u l a t e d by conomic growth, and protection o f aluable resources. The I C Z M inititives taken in several countries ould provide a good start for coorinated coastal planning and mangement in the entire region.
.eferences .) Brachya, V. "Integrated Planning and
imerican Chemical Society, Distribuion Dept. Office 66, 1155 Sixteenth itreet, N.W., Washington, DC 20036 )r call TOLL FREE 1-800-227-5558. n Washington, D.C. 202-872-4363.
1270 Environ. Sci. Technol., VoI. 27,NO.7,1993
Management of Coastal Zones"; Israel National Report to Regional Activity CentreIPriority Actions Program, 1984; United Nations Environment Programme, 1991. I) "Guide to Operating the EIS System"; Israel Ministry of the Environment: Jerusalem, 1992 (Hebrew). 3) Efrat, E. "Outline Scheme of Israel Coastal Strips"; Israel Ministry of the Interior: lerusalem. 1974 IHehrewl. 14) "Nation& Masterpian forthe Mediterranean Coast": Israel Ministry of the
(5)
Interior: Jerusalem,1981 (Hebrew). Brachya, V. et al. Woter Sci. Technol. 1983,16,505-16.
"National Masterplan for the Mediterranean Coast"; Techit Mitar Arizit 13, part C: Israel Ministry of the Environment Jerusalem, 1991 (Hebrew). (71 "Integrated Planning and Management of Mediterranean Coastal Zones, Mediterranean Action PlanlPriority Actions Program": Technical Report Series No. 61; United Nations Environment Programme: Athens, 1991. (81 "Coastal Resources Management Plan, Coastal Regions of Syria"; Mediterranean Action PlanIF'riority Actions Pmgram. United Nations Environment Programme: Split, Croatia, 1992. (9) "Training Programme on GIS (Summary Report)"; Mediterranean Action PlanIPriority Actions Program. United Nations Environment Programme: Split, Croatia, 1992. (6)
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Valerie Bmchya heods the Envimnmental Plonning Division of the Ismel Ministry of the Environment. She qualified in urban and regional plonning in England, worked there in the Countryside Commission a n d Depariment of Environment, then emigmted to Ismel. She participated in landscape and recreation research projects ot the Technion (Institute of Technology) before joim'ng the Environmentnl Pmiection Service (EPS) in 1974. She built the national and regional envimnmental planning activities of the EPS, which formed the hasis of the Planning Division she now heads. She lectures on environmental planning at the Hebrew Universityin Jerusalem.
