With increasing pressure on our coastal habitats arising from coastal development, increasing population size, resource exploitation and climate change, it is becoming more and more important to approach coastal planning and management in a holistic manner. Conflict of use for limited resources is typical and, as such, identifying and achieving successful management is both complex and difficult to achieve.

A balanced and integrated approach is required to ensure the following issues are adequately addressed: economic and resource use optimisation; data management; identification of mechanisms for the sustainable use of ecosystem resources; stakeholder consultation, conflict resolution and consensus building; and strengthening of sectoral and integrated management of coastal resources through evaluation, institutional capacity building, training and policy development.