A survey on the adoption of Integrated Coastal zone management in the Italian North Adriatic coastal regions. Results and critical discussion

摘要

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is considered to be a set of principles, approaches and tools aimed at promoting the sustainable development of coastal areas. However, as many surveys have confirmed, ICZM is a difficult process to be implemented and translated into practice. This paper aims at clarifying whether and how ICZM is spreading in the Italian North Adriatic coastal region. The study conducted by an online survey addressed to the coastal managers in the Italian regions of Marche, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, was meant to observe the adoption stage of a series of coastal zone management actions. The survey has confirmed that ICZM in the Italian North Adriatic is still at an early stage although the last years have shown some improvements. Among the weak points of this process the following are noteworthy: The competence framework in coastal management is still fragmented and often conflicting in competences' attribution and organization; the economic stakes of coastal management projects are still not properly monitored; the involvement of the economic sectors and coastal communities into coastal management decisions process still represents a high critical issue despite recent improvements; political support in the medium-long term and the availability of funds to start up ICZM initiatives are important conditioning factors; the lack of a national coastal strategy represents a relevant weakness; ICZM policies and initiatives are generally not undergoing any monitoring and assessment process.