ABSTRACT
Coastal management plans, and the processes used to develop them, can also be employed as part of any coastal program aiming to bring together the various strands of government, private sector and community activities on the coast. Coastal management plans can also be examined according to their focus on either strategic or operational issues. Strategic planning issues are concerned with the long-term future development of the coast, such as siting of ports or the location of future coastal urban developments. Strategic planning is an important part of management because it provides guidance in managing development within a longer-term framework than operational planning. Strategic plans generally deal with broad categories of management such as the appropriate uses of specified areas such as marine waters; particular resources such as fishes; development – economic, social and infrastructure; and environmental management.
