ABSTRACT
Tourism is the most important industry in coastal areas. Over the years, wastewater has been a source of pollution due to urbanization, growing cities, industrialization and improved material consumption, among other factors. Emerging trends in conservation and protected areas management set the stage for new approaches that engage local people in the stewardship of working seascapes that embrace the interactions of people and nature. Stewardship taps our basic human impulse to care for our home and its surroundings, be it a parcel of land, a neighbourhood or a historic monument, or the larger area of a watershed, mountain range or stretch of coastline. The scenic, biological and cultural qualities that make certain landscapes and seascapes unique are the result of the interactions of people and nature over time. Landscapes and seascapes are dynamic and change along with the communities living in them. The stewardship approach offers tremendous potential for sustaining special landscapes and seascapes in diverse regions of the world.
