The coastal area of Kenya is endowed with a rich variety of natural resources that form the socio-economic base of the region. The resources therein support multiple forms of uses including tourism, agriculture, shipping, fisheries and forestry, which make significant contributions to the local and national economy. For example, about 60% of the contribution of tourism to the national economy comes from coastal tourism. However, different sectoral interests have tended to seek exclusive access to and use of coastal resources, and past sectorally based governance systems failed to recognise the interconnectedness of ecosystems in resource management. Consequently, the sectoral approach to development planning and management, combined with population pressure and the intensity and complexity of human activities in the coastal area have spawned resource use conflicts and adverse socio- economic and environmental effects.
The development and implementation of an ICZM action strategy for the Nyali- Bamburi-Shanzu area in Mombasa in 1996 by a multi-sectoral team under the coordination of CDA marked early efforts at integrated management of coastal resources for sustainable development. Later in 1999, the enactment of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA 1999) obliged NEMA, in consultation with the relevant lead agencies, to conduct a survey of the coastal zone and prepare an integrated national coastal zone management plan based on the report of the survey. The preparation of the State of the Coast report in 2009 was in response to this requirement. Subsequent efforts coordinated by NEMA culminated in the formulation of the ICZM policy framework to guide development planning and management, conservation of the environment and accommodate the social and economic needs of local communities. The objectives of the policy are to:-
- Promote integrated planning and coordination of coastal developments across the various sectors;
- Promote sustainable economic development to secure livelihoods of coastal communities;
- Conserve the coastal and marine resources and environment for sustainable development;
- Manage environmental risks associated with changes in shoreline and climate;
- Develop capacity in research and education and enhance stakeholder
awareness and participation in sustainable resource management;
- Establish effective institutional and legal frameworks for implementation of
the ICZM policy.
The ICZM policy is rooted in the understanding that the coastal and marine environment is a limited spatial area and a distinctive system in which a range of environmental and socio-economic interest interconnect in a manner which requires a dedicated and integrated management approach. Its preparation was participatory, involving stakeholders from government agencies, private sector, NGOs, expert groups and community based organisations.