Coastal zone management in South America with a look at three distinct estuarine systems.

MARCOS MATEUS; FABIO GIORDANO; VICTOR MARIN; JORGE MARCOVECCHIO

Perspectives on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in South America.

IST Press

Lugar: Lisboa; Año: 2008; p. 43 - 58

Estuaries and adjacent coastal areas can be characterized by several variables such as: size, shape and bathymetry, tidal influence, fresh water inflow, turbidity, residence times, sediment properties, and water-column turbidity. Also of great importance are the geographical location (mainly the latitude) and human pressures. In combination, all these characteristics shape the ecology of an estuary, conferring singularity to each system. The ECOMANAGE project focused on three estuarine systems in South America: Santos Estuary (24o S) and Bah´ıa Blanca (39o S) in the Atlantic coast, and Ays´en Fjord (45 S) in the Pacific coast. These estuaries, in terms of their ecology, differ in features like the role of the benthic system, anthropogenic nutrient inputs, presence/absence of tidal flats. The main purpose of this chapter is to describe in general terms the backdrop of the South American coastal zone management reality, highlighting the major features of these three system. Together, they represent key coastal zones regarding their integrated management. All show conflicting interests between urban, industrial and agricultural development and environmental conservation. Thus, beyond their differences, they share some of the major regional environmental concerns in South America, namely, the transformation of the landscape and seascape with the loss of natural patrimony, increased human waste and industrial disposal (UNEP 1999).