The coastal environment as conflict field of economic activities
Part of : Αρχείον οικονομικής ιστορίας ; Vol.XVI, No.1, 2004, pages 73-84
Issue:
Pages:
73-84
Author:
Abstract:
From the dawn of civilization, the economical, social and geostrategical importance of sea for human societies is well known to be interwoven with the history of humanity. Sea was always the shipping route facilitating not only commercial but also cultural communication. Coastal environment, as part of natural environment, has an endogenous conflicting character owed to ruptures and confrontations that are connected with productive mechanism. A sequence of fundamental conflicts is involved in the relationship between productive mechanism rate and nature. Economic activities in residential, industrial, tourist and fishing sector have negative impacts to biodiversity of coastal environment. Competition of land-use in coastal environments and particularly the need for tourist and residential growth, leads to the extension of structured environment against the natural one. The interaction between anthropogenic and natural environment, in conditions of antagonism that are shaped by the requirement of economic growth, transforms the coastal environment. The sustainable development of coastal environment requires integrated management that has to be based on the counterbalance of different factors. This factorial polymorphism has ecological, economical, social, cultural and administrative characteristics. The sustainable development should maintain the coastal environment and the socialcultural identity of region, as this (the coastal environment) constitutes natural resource with multiple possibilities of economic exploitation. Political planning of this exploitation should aim to the satisfaction of social needs. Essential component of political planning is the participation of citizens, local government and state administration. It is very important the participative management of coastal environment, in order the more suitable policy to be applied and besides action in national, regional and local level to be undertaken.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
coastal environment, natural environment, competition
Notes:
JEL: R1
