Coastal Zone Management

Most civilizations have settled along the edge of rivers, lakes, seas, or oceans, as water is important for the very survival of human civilization, including transportation of goods, and is still of great importance today. Officially the coastal zone is the “interface where the land meets the ocean, encompassing shoreline environments as well as adjacent coastal waters. Its components can include river deltas, coastal plains, wetlands, beaches and dunes, reefs, mangrove forests, lagoons and other coastal features.” Approximately 40 percent of the world's population currently lives within 62 miles of a coastline.