Towards Coastal Zone Management in Venezuela
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Abstract
The introduction to this paper presents a discussion of the principles and concepts which the authors feel should underlie any meaningful coastal zone management plan. Subsequent sections of this document address critical issues within the framework established in the introduction. Because a complete inventory of Venezuelan issues and problems could not be obtained, much of the discussion in these sections follows a format of identification of processes, problems, and recommendations, supplemented by examples from Venezuela's coastal zone. For any management scheme to be effective, a substantial degree of control over uses of the coastal environment and its resources must be specified. It is beyond the scope of this paper to suggest specific land use controls which might be implemented in specific locations in Venezuela. However, we have endeavored to present a format which could be utilized by any actual Venezuela planning agency to promote the rational allocation of coastal resources. It must be pointed out from the start that this project has been carried out as an academic exercise, with none of its authors ever having stepped foot inside Venezuela's geographic boundaries. Due to this fact, three major problems hampered our research efforts. First, information concerning Venezuela's renewable natural resources and marine environment was extremely fragmented, if it existed at all. Secondly, much of the data that has been collected has been inexact, imcomplete or out of data. The third problem, for which we, the research group, must take the blame, has been the language barrier, which at times has posed a very formidable problem. Despite these handicaps, we feel that this document can play a meaningful role in helping the peoplr of Venezuela develop a coastal zone management policy that will provide for a rational balancing of uses, conservation, and preservation in the coastal zone.