Integrated Management Planning / Governance Workpackage 4 -

Harmonised Management of Estuaries

Mike.Elliott@hull.ac.uk; N.D.Cutts@hull.ac.uk

Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hullhttp://www.hull.ac.uk/iecs

(TiDe pre-project get-together, Hamburg, Sept. 09)

Work Package 4

• Comparative Analysis of Management Structures, Governance Principles and Communication

• Identify Best Practice

• Derive Holistic Management Framework

Estuary management principles underlying WP4:

DPSIR Approach (NB cyclical to helical)

Pressures (suite from each driver)

State changes (environmental/natural variables)

Impact (on human uses and on users)

Response (economic, governance actions, etc)

Drivers (human activities responsible)

Fulfil ‘The Ecosystem Approach’

• Environmentally/ecologically sustainable

7 tenets for sustainable and successful environmental management – that actions

must be:

• Technologically feasible• Economically viable• Socially desirable/tolerable

• Legally permissible• Administratively achievable

• Politically expedient

MANAGE -

Who:Fisheries committeesIndustry departments

Nature conservation bodiesEnvironment protection agencies

Amenity committeesRecreation access Energy ministriesLocal authoritiesHow:

Access controlsTraffic movement

Abstraction licencesPermits, consents, authorisations (Effluent

& dredge material disposal/run-off)Dredging/seabed extraction

Planning applicationsRecreation access

Fishing permits

What:Industry

AgricultureNavigation/ports

Mineral extractionInfrastructureRecreationFisheriesWildlife

Why:“social and ecological well-

being”

Legislative Drivers

Decide SMART objectives

Ecological & economic goods & services

Ecosystem Approach

Decide conservation goals

Decide quantitative standards

Check AQC/QA

Pro

duce

M

an

age

me

nt P

lan

!

Create/agree methods

Perform compliance monitoring

Report to EU/OSPAR

Check compliance with standards

Pass

Fail

Investigative monitoring

Remedial work

Agree licences/permits/consents

Surveillance monitoring

Reasons for Management:

• to protect critical processes

• to protect critical areas and species

• for the delivery of economic goods and services

• for the protection of ecological goods and services

And?

• to prevent prosecution and

• to look after shareholders

Hence we need:Drivers for managementTools for management

Endpoints/Outcomes of management

Therefore:

Manage for both ecology and economy (reason)

Using both technology and administrative bodies (tools)

Within both laws and governance (drivers)

For both society and politics (drivers)

Aim (economic & ecological goods & services)

Determine habitat use (in ecological terms - survey, modelling, analysis - especially ‘charismatic megafauna’!)

Determine habitat loss (coastal squeeze, historical loss, hindcasting)

Determine habitat gain (quantify G&S from re-created sites)

Determine habitat status (what it is like, where are the pressures)

Fulfil ‘The Ecosystem Approach’

Lessons learned for management

Things to be managed (and by whom):

• Habitats (nature conservation agencies)• Environmental quality (EPA-type organisations)• Water space usage (port authorities)• Navigation (port authorities)• Infrastructure (municipalities/federal state)• Energy extraction (private companies)• Biological extractions (fisheries bodies)• Estuarine water extraction (private energy companies)• Upstream water abstraction (water supply companies)• Land space usage (municipalities/federal state)• Erosion and flooding control (EPA, municipalities etc)• Industry (EPA and private companies)• Recreation and tourism (agencies)

Types of Estuary and Coastal Plan(e.g. on the Humber)

• Shoreline Management Plans• Estuary Management Plan• Structure Plans• Port Development Plans• CHaMPS – Habitat Management Plans• European Marine Sites Management Plan• Fish and Shellfisheries Management• Etc...

Human needs for/uses and abuses of the Humber:

fisheries (potting, trawling, etc.) telecommunications cables urban areas, infrastructure alternative energy generation (wind, tidal, wave) conventional energy generation (nuclear, coal, oil, gas) land claim coastal defence military uses navigation/shipping recreation/tourism safety (lifeboats/coastguards) water abstraction ports/harbours aquaculture dredging/spoil disposal agriculture aggregate extraction waste discharge industry (petrochemical, food, etc.) education, research oil and gas exploration/extraction barrages (amenity, safety) wildlife, conservation

Types of Stakeholders (statutory bodies; voluntary organisations, NGOs,

Government Departments):• EPA-type agency• Nature Conservation Body• Ministries of Defence, Environment, Transport, etc• Port Authorities• Local Municipalities• Infrastructure Authorities (bridges, tunnels)• Industry Nature Conservation Body• ...........

Types of Legal Instruments & Agreements:

• International (binding or possibly non-binding) (UNCLOS, IMO)• International Regional (OSPAR, HELCOM)• European Union (directives, regulations)• Multinational regional (e.g. Scheldt Commission)• National• National regional

The Estuary & Coast - Harmonising Major European Union Legislative /Administrative/Policy Drivers

From the Sectoral:

• Urban Waste-water Treatment

• Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control

• Titanium Dioxide

• Shellfish Growing Waters & Health

• Shellfish Harvesting

• Bathing Waters

• Dangerous Substances + Daughters

• Freshwater Fishes

To the Holistic:

• Environmental Impact Assessment

• Habitats & Species

• Wild Birds

• Nitrates

• Strategic Environmental Assessment

• Water Framework

• Environmental Liability

• Integrated Coastal Zone Management

• Marine Framework

Limits of Jurisdiction:

• from the land• along the river/freshwater• within the tidal river• estuary/transitional water• to the tidal limit• along the coastal belt• inshore (1, 3, 6, 12 nm)• territorial waters (200 nm)

Hence to get sustainable and successful management we need to

harmonise within and between:• sectors• stakeholders• Regulators• mediums• estuaries• regions• countries• outcomes• implementation

Aim (economic & ecological goods & services)

Set indicators (birds/fishes; tonnage/ wealth creation, quality of life/non-infraction)

Perform monitoring (surveillance, condition, compliance, investigative)

Measure status (EII, habitat mapping)

Action required (defined in advance)

Set objectives (ecological, economic, societal, legislative)

Fulfil ‘The Ecosystem Approach’

Action not required Tool!

Tool!

Tool!Tool!

Outcome!

Work Package 4

AIM: To develop holistic management planning framework for estuaries using a multi-manager sectoral framework.

Do not necessarily want to re-invent the wheel

Do not want to alienate legitimate sectoral planning bodies

Want to build on existing expertise and linkages

Want to have an inclusive system involving stakeholders (expertise and understanding). Regional Working Groups set-up involving partners and key stakeholders

Ultimately want to develop estuary specific integrated plan (SSIEMP) and implement toolbox for management

Work Package 4

PROCESS: Regional Estuary Working Groups

Need to develop a range of ‘good practices’ based on a synthesis governance structures from each estuary.

Matrix approach – develop for individual estuaries and address management issues (mostly cross-cutting?) statutory and non-statutory instruments, and the management structures used to apply them...for good examples and bad.

Involve stakeholders in process to identify perception of success and compliance.

Identify a suite of good practices for a range of management needs.

Work Package 4

PROCESS: Benchmarking & ToRs for Governance Analysis

Assessment of individual estuarine management practices against other techniques.

SWOT analysis for estuaries & topics.

Devise a common set of questions (goals, structure, communication etc) and produce a generic Integrated Estuarine Management Plan.

Test the plan on each estuary (RWGs).

Refine the generic plan based on RWG findings.

Work Package 4

PROCESS: Refinement & Implementation

Devise Site Specific Integrated Estuarine Management Plans (SSIEMPs) for each estuary. This will be undertaken in dialogue with key stakeholders via RWGs.

Synthesis of WP3 and WP5 findings into RWG discussion fora, and integration, if needed, into relevant SSIEMPs during revision period.

Identification of a series of good practice methods for estuarine management, including specific tools on a sectoral basis and activities to promote better integration.

Work Package 4

PROCESS SUMMARY:

INVOLVEMENT:

Primarily IECS & WP4 partners, but with spin-out to regional working groups which will include partners and key stakeholders.

Stage 1Evidence Gathering

Stage 2Analysis

Stage 3Devise Generic

Integrated Estuarine Management Plan

(GIEMP)

Stage 4Test & Refine

GIEMP(each partner)

Stage 5Devise Site Specific Integrated Estuarine Management Plan

(SSIEMP)

Stage 6Field Test

(communicate)

Stage 7Revise SSIEMP

Stage 8Develop joint

'Governance Box'

Stage 9Implement

(Virtual Estuary)