The Unique Characteristics of Coastal Area

Stating that the coast is unique because it is where land and oceans meet may appear rather obvious, but it is a fact of great significance. It is the interaction between marine and terrestrial environments that makes the coast unique-and due to this it is uniquely challenging to manage.
The challenge is compounded by the fact that the coast suffers the consequences of land use decisions often made a great distance from the coast in catchments draining to the zone itself. Just imaging, land used changes in agriculture and forestry that cause erosion and pollution, or building-up irrigation dams that reduce the flows of water and sediment load into coastal zones from upstream, all will show up in coast area in one form or another through sedimentation or erosion, salinity changes or increased toxic blooms.
The transition between land and oceans produce diverse and productive ecosystems, which have been prove to prosper human well-being. As human population grow and increase their level of socio-economic development, the pressure on coastal resources will also increase and making the management of this area even more difficult. Management become more challenging when major administrative boundaries commonly follow high or low water lines, bisecting coastal areas and dividing the management of the land from that of the ocean. Furthermore, administrative boundaries can follow the centre of rivers and estuaries, splitting their management between two neighboring authorities and results in dividing natural units such as bays and sediment cells.
The uniqueness is further enhanced by the value of its resources such as fish and offshore mineral reserves, and more recently aquaculture sites, considered by the populace to be common property, also in high demand for subsistence use, recreation and economic development. Exploitation of resources raises their value, with a consequential demand for equitable resource allocation. Therefore, resource planning often forms an integral part of coastal management programs.