Comparing Coastal Management Approaches in Distinct Locations: Case Studies from England (UK), Auckland (New Zealand), and Diego Garcia (BIOT)

Approximately 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 km of the coast. The sustainability of many economic, environmental and social systems in coastal zones are under increasing pressure due to rising population pressures, historically poor planning and the effects of climate change. Whilst related risks and uncertainty are common elsewhere, their scale and nature are exacerbated for coastal communities given their immediate exposure to a wider range of extreme weather events and natural hazards. Many of these pressures are characterized by slow onset consequences outside typical human planning horizons, therefore there is a need for overarching frameworks that manage risk, encourage sustainable development and plan for the long term.

The paper explores how the various agencies responsible for coastal management in diverse locations, England, New Zealand and Diego Garcia (DG), have responded to this need for long term coastal management.

This paper first looks how Shoreline Management Plans form the basis for strategic coastal management in England and Wales. This national approach to long term coastal planning has evolved over the past 24 years, but now faces new challenges due to a changing social and environmental landscape, set against an uncertain future due to climate change. This is then compared to the approach applied in New Zealand, which involves a tier of statutory and guidance documents from national level to local government. Finally, the paper explores coastal management in Diego Garcia (DG), where there are unique challenges to coastal management and adaptation, due to the island’s current governance.