Coastal zones are used intensively for industry, shipping, urban development, aquaculture and tourism. These activities generate large amounts of domestic and industrial effluent, which, when coupled with hinterland loading transferred to the coastal zones by rivers, generates tremendous stress on the human, biological and physical habitats that are the very features that make the coastal zone attractive for development. Without environmental management and planning, serious, undesirable damage to the structure and function of coastal ecosystems is inevitable, particularly in the tropics where many important ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are highly fragile.

The tragic consequences of the tsunami that recently hit the region further accentuated the need for coastal zone mangement in planning and maintaining natural protection and reduce the impacts of natural disasters.

DHI has developed considerable expertise in Integrated Coastal Zone Management, including institutional capacity building, human resource development and peparation of sectoral and integrated management plans, including:

• Shoreline Management Plans which focus on the interface between land and sea. This is often the area of most rapid development whilst being subject to physical environmental stress from the ocean and the eventual receptor of riverine wastes.
• Catchment Management Plans focus on the increasing pressure on hinterland water resources from popoulation growth, industry, forestry and agricultural development.