CAPACITY BUILDING FOR INTEGRATED COASTAL AREAS MANAGEMENT (ICZM) IN NIGERIA

(1) D.A. Osanwuta, (2) P.C. Nwilo

(1)National Inland Waterways Authority, Lokoja, (NG)
(2) Department of Surveying &Geoinformatics, University of Lagos, (NG)

Abstract
The coastal environment is a very fragile environment where several activities take place. These range from fishing dredging, port development, deforestation, farming, oil and gas production and coastal erosion. All these activities impact negatively on the coast. One activity can and do affect the other. For example, destruction of mangrove ecosystem can adversely affect the fishing industry. There is, therefore, a need to understand the linkages between one activity and others. The planning development and management of a coastal area in such a way that one sectoral activity does not adversely affect the others is regarded as an Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM). This entails that there is a need for a legal framework, institutional framework and a policy instrument. To achieve the goals of an integrated coastal areas management in a developing country, there is a need for capacity building through workshops, conferences, and formal training in relevant fields such as surveying, geographic information system (GIS), biology, chemistry, geology, engineering courses, environmental management, basic mapping and coastal management. For these formal programmes to be really relevant in (ICAM), there is need to incorporate certain core courses such as GIS, environmental management, mapping and coastal management in the programmes.

The Master of Science in Surveying and Geoinformatics, Master of Geoinformatics and the Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Geoinformatics programmes at the University of Lagos are deliberately designed to include coastal management and environmental management. This ensures that a product of those programmes can easily participate in ICAM programmes. The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project, which is aimed at sustainable management of the living resources of the Gulf of Guinea region. During the first phase of the Project, workshops and training programmes in ICAM and GIS were organised in the six participating countries as part of the strategy to develop the much needed manpower in integrated coastal areas management. Similar programmes are billed to take place during the second phase, which starts in January 2004.

Community participation is central to the success of ICAM. There is, therefore, a need to organise workshops for community dwellers on their roles in ensuring the success of ICAM in their communities. The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem project organised workshops for coastal communities through non-governmental organizations (NGO) on the roles in ICAM projects. For example, the communities were taught the need to replant mangrove trees. Similarly the Niger Delta Environmental Survey, which is funded by the oil producing companies in Nigeria organized workshops on community participation in the management of the Niger delta. In addition, the World Bank through its office in Nigeria is currently assisting the rural communities in the Niger delta to learn how to manage their environment sustainably.

Communities in Nigeria particularly within the coastal areas of Nigeria have become conscious of the importance of managing their environment sustainably. This will ensure their full participation in ICAM. Programmes in the universities and polytechnics should be structured in such a way that the manpower produced in these institutions provides the much-needed manpower in integrated coastal areas management. In addition, conducting more workshops in Nigeria and other West and Central African countries will assist in capacity building. Finally, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation has muted the idea of formation of an African Association for Integrated Coastal Areas Management. If the idea materialises, it will assist in capacity building.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

 The coastal area of any nation is a very important part of the nation's territorial boundary. The coast is important for agriculture, fisheries, navigation, communication, military, commerce, tourism and mining. Crude oil exploration and exploitation, which contribute very significantly to the economies of developing countries in particular, are undertaken mainly along the coast. These activities have attracted in most cases large populations. It is estimated that the coastal areas house about two thirds of the world's population (Hansen and Lindh, 1993) and it is estimated that by the year 2020, this number will increase to 75%.

The activities on the coast have led to the growth of many cities. Many important cities of the world such as London, Rotterdam, Tokyo, Venice, Shanghai, Cairo, Lisbon, and Lagos are located within the coast. Borrego (1994) stated that two thirds of the world's cities with over 2.5 million people are located within 60km from the coast.

As a result of the numerous activities and the location of big cities, most governments have invested a lot on infrastructure such as roads, airports, and seaports and rail networks. These activities, investments and population concentrations have placed enormous pressure on the coast. The role of the coastal environment to humanity has made it imperative that special attention should be paid to it.

To effectively manage the coastal zone, accurate definitions of the concepts, boundary limitations, management goals and objectives, as well as factors that cause imbalances in the dynamic equilibrium of the coast must be understood and applied.

1.1 Definition of Coastal Zone
The coastal zone is the interface between the land and the sea. The boundaries of the coastal zone, as defined by the United States Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 are the coastal waters, the adjacent shorelines, and the lands "therein and thereunder". The components of the coast, such as islands, salt marshes, beaches, transitional and inter-tidal areas, were noted in the Act to be in proximity to the shorelines and to exert influences on each other. On the other hand, integrated coastal areas management (ICAM) can be explained as the planning, development and management of a coastal area in such a way that one sectoral activity does not adversely affect the others. The coastal zone is a very fragile environment because it is affected by what happens on the land and in the sea. For example intensive farming in the hinterland using fertiliser can lead to sedimentation and pollution at the coastal area. The sedimentation can be brought about by erosion of soils in the hinterland and the pollution comes from the discharge of poisonous fertiliser chemicals into the water streams. The damming of the rivers for agricultural activities, water supply and electricity far in the hinterland land is known to cause serious erosion at the coastal area. It is a well known fact that one of the reason for serious erosion problems along the Nigerian coast is the construction of dams along the rivers Niger and Benue and their tributaries (Nwilo, 1995; Nwilo and Onuoha, 1993. Ibe, 1988). An oil spillage far into the ocean can constitute serious environmental hazards within the coastal zone due to tidal and wave actions. This can even go beyond the national boundaries of Nigeria, into the Republics of Benin or Cameroon depending on where the spill occurs and on the driving oceanographic factors.

The long-term sustainability of the coastal ecosystem as a resource for healthy economies in coastal nation appears to be diminishing. The coastal ecosystems is being impacted by multiple pressures such as exploitation of mineral resources; population explosion, pollution such as dumping of human wastes, burning of gases; deforestation and construction activities.

It is in realisation of these conflicting activities that chapter 17 of Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) advised coastal nations to implement an integrated coastal areas management programmes before the year 2000. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in concert with the UNCED declaration is encouraging coastal nations to establish national programmes for assessing and monitoring coastal ecosystems so as to enhance the ability of the national and regional management organisations to develop an effective remedial programmes for improving the quality of degraded ecosystems (Sherman, 1997). This encouragement follows from the significant milestones achieved by UNCED and declarations adopted by majority of coastal nations. UNCED declarations expects coastal nations to:

Data for addressing the problems of coastal environment is often lacking especially in developing countries. For this reason, data collection is a major component of the integrated coastal area management strategy. Part of the global attention in addressing the problem of coastal environment is the setting up of the Land Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone, a core project of the International Geosphere - Biosphere Programme. This programme focuses on the role of the world's coastal zones in the functioning of the Earth System, the way in which global changes will influence the role; the way in which such changes will affect the use of the coastal space and resources by humanity; and the consequences of such changes to human welfare (Turner et al., 1998). Climate change and the impacts have become a major global concern and must be taken into consideration in addressing the problems of coastal zones.

Through the efforts of Land Ocean Interaction in Coastal Zone (LOICZ), data are being collected from all over the world on the issues that affect the sustainable use of the coastal environment. These data will be very essential in the integrated modelling and analysis of the global coastal zones.

It has been seen from the discussions above that the coastal environment is under enormous pressure due to the intensification of human activities and threats of climate change. As part of the strategy to manage the coastal environment in a sustainable manner, an integrated coastal management programme has often been recommended.

1.2 Interactions in the Coastal Areas
The interactions fall into three broad categories: natural systems, user functions and infrastructure (Van der Weide, 1993). The natural system interactions occur through abiotic, biotic and chemical processes.

User functions specifically address the issues relating to anthropogenic activities and the resultant impacts. The coastal zone supports human populations and a complex array of developmental activities. Ballinger et al (1994) noted the coastal region to be "one of the most heavily used, with many different activities taking place". Coastal zone resources exploitation has caused environmental degradation. The degree of environmental degradation is dependent on the assimilatory capacity of the affected zone.

Van der Weide (1993) observed that a naturally big and robust system would have the capability to self-heal and would subsequently not display severe overall harm. Coastal nations with a small and sparsely distributed population, abundant natural resources and a rural economy would not show discernible adverse impacts (Thia-Eng, 1993).

2.0 COASTAL AREAS MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN NIGERIA
Coastal management programmes of any form should normally include the following common steps:

There is also a need for a legal framework under which the coastal management policy will operate.
In order to practice effective coastal management, planners need to understand the way the natural environment and human activities are interconnected to form a system. Key aspects of the system include information on the following processes:

Each of these activities is greatly influenced by activities within and beyond the coastal zone. It is for this reason that the resolution of conflicts in the use of coastal resources requires a broad perspective on the environmental processes and interactions among human activities. The definition of a narrow and rigid coastal zone boundary is therefore inappropriate.

2.1 Legal Framework
In order to ensure a sustainable development of the Nigerian environment, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced a National Policy on Environment of 1989. The policy spelt out Nigeria's commitment to a national policy that ensures sustainable development based on the proper management of the environment in order to meet the needs of the present and future generations (FEPA, 1989). This new thrust is based on a better appreciation of the interdependent linkages among development processes and environmental factors as well as human and natural resources. Among the issues given prominence in the policy objectives is the marine and coastal area resources that come under subsection 3.5. The launching of the National Policy on Environment came soon after the creation of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) by Decree No. 58 of 30 December 1988 in line with similar laws such as the US Coastal Management Act 1972 and some specific laws in European countries (Vallejo, 1991). This decree came on the heels of the dumping of toxic wastes at Koko, Delta State of Nigeria by an Italian Company and the confusion and panic that greeted it. Before this decree, there were a total of eighteen national laws that had environmental protection significance. Also, Nigeria was party to sixteen international treaties (Imevbore and Okorodudu-Fubara, 1990).

Other laws that address to some extent the problems of coastal environment include the Decree establishing the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC). The mandate of OMPADEC ensures an even development of the oil producing areas. The other law, which is more recent, is the law establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The difference between NDDC and OMPADEC is that, the NDDC is better funded and managed. Furthermore, the NDDC lay more emphasis on planning and the Geographic Information System (GIS) is seen as a major management tool. The NDDC can be said to be a case of an integrated coastal areas management programme. Other projects that could be regarded as coastal management interventions on the coast of Nigeria include the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project and the Niger Delta Environmental Survey (NDES). The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project is a regional Project, the first phase of which covered six countries in West Africa, from Cote D'Ivoire to Cameroon. The second phase, which is to take off in 2004, comprises of sixteen countries of West and Central Africa from Guinea Bissau to Angola.

2.2 Boundary of an Integrated Coastal Management Programme
This is a very important aspect of an integrated coastal management programme. Normally, at the policy planning stage, depending on the objectives of the programme, an area of interest is designated which may be pruned down at the management implementation stage (Clark, 1992). In Nigeria, the area of interest covers the whole of the coastal areas as shown in figure 2.1 and the exclusive economic zone is about 320 kilometres from the shoreline. The importance of covering such a wide area is that the coastal zone is an interface between the land and the sea. The zone is affected by what happens at sea and on the land. Recently, several resource exploitations are taking place on the high seas that would naturally have an impact on the coastal zone.

Fig. 2.1: Map of Coastal Areas of Nigeria

2.3 Possible Obstacles to Integrated Management of the Coastal Area in Nigeria
Nigeria has three tiers of government namely:
- the Federal government;
- the State Governments;
- the Local Governments.
These three tiers of Government will in one way or the other have to participate in the implementation of the integrated coastal programme being advocated. The Nigerian Land Use Decree of 1978 vests all lands within the territory of a state on the governor of the State who holds the lands in trust for the people of the state. So, the day-to-day implementation of land administration in Nigeria rests with the States and this implementation varies to some extent from state to state. However, the coastal areas of Nigeria are spread over about nine states. With this type of situation, Federal Government of Nigeria cannot under the existing law directly implement the Integrated Coastal Management Programme. Rather, the Federal Government can lay down a general framework and leave the States and the Local Governments with the day-to-day implementation. Such activities as mineral exploration and exploitation; data collection, collation, and analysis; and monitoring of the implementation of the programme will be handled directly by the Federal Government through its agency.

3.0 NEED FOR EDUCATION IN COASTAL MANAGEMENT

Rapid increases in industrialisation, related economic and developmental activities in developing countries have been without adequate regard for an environmentally sustainable use of the coastal zone. These activities have created environmental degradation problems, resource use conflicts and are particularly "more serious in coastal development nations beset with hunger, unemployment, poverty and rapid population growth" (Thia-Eng, 1993).

The impacts of human activities on the coastal zone include, as stated earlier, erosion, deforestation, destruction of coastal infrastructure, flooding, inundation, salinity intrusion and destruction of breeding ground for fishes. The cumulative effects of such activities might cause the collapse of parts of the natural resources ecosystem (Van der Weide, 1993)

The exact nature of the activities and the resultant impacts have led to the concept of integrated coastal zone management. Coastal zone management was defined by Knecht and Archer (1993) as "a dynamic process by which decisions are taken for the use, development, and protection of coastal areas and resources to achieve goals established in cooperation with user groups and national, regional and local authorities".

The application of an environmentally sustainable management scheme to identify, evaluate, monitor and control coastal change effects require the adequate education of relevant professionals.

3.1 Management Education Problems
Inadequacy of appropriate guidelines, training facilities and the difficulty in calculating and assigning economic values to the benefits of the coastal environment (Ballinger et al; 1994) and the trans-boundary nature of environmental problems combine to make coastal zone management education very difficult.
Past management of coastal zone in developing countries have been short term, uncoordinated and within separate national frameworks. For example, the Nigeria Coast is one of the most grossly polluted coastal areas due to petroleum resources exploitation and the accompanying oil spillage. Despite the state of environmental degradation and the resultant social and economic impacts along this stretch, efforts at managing the Nigerian Coast have been haphazard, short term and incomplete due to the absence of a coordinated strategy. Measures aimed at the assessment of coastal interactions in this region have, often, been undertaken by academics and oil companies' activities, which have no mandatory reporting obligations to any Federal Government Agency. It has, therefore, been difficult to collate and share relevant coastal management information that would have produced more effective results.

3.2 Educations and Training Needs
As a result of the complexity and the resource requirements of coastal management schemes, the availability of a multidisciplinary team is mandatory for a successful implementation of such schemes. Capacity building has been identified by Cicin-Sain (1993) as being vital to the achievement of a sustainable development of coastal zones and oceans by nations. Thia-Eng (1993) recommended undertaking institutional building through training and workshops to establish a core group of nationals in a region with the necessary capacity to execute integrated management programmes. The training must be multidisciplinary in nature (Barcena, 1991) providing skills in social and economic sciences and the utilisation of geographical information systems as well as engineering, institutional, political, legal and social/cultural interpretations. The implication is that such professionals as engineers, surveyors, geographers, economists, geologists, biologists, environmentalists and oceanographers are very vital in addressing the problems of coastal change.

Although in some developing countries facilities exist for the training of these professionals, the general trend is that most of the developing countries lack the necessary manpower and facilities for the training. Added to this is the issue of migration of skilled professionals to the developed countries due to poor conditions of service, lack of motivation, poor research facilities and general political instability. The structural adjustment programme adopted by most developing countries in the 1980s was aimed at introducing some level of sanity in the management of the third world's economy. The true situation is that it has led to unprecedented inflation, frustration and migration of professionals.

There is, therefore, a need for the development of a conducive atmosphere for professionals to work in their countries of origin, establishment of institutions and an emphasis during training on the importance of the coastal environment. It is observed that even in situations where the institutions are available for the training of professionals, there is a general lack of awareness about the significance of the coast, which is reflected in the structure of the educational programmes. Awareness can be created through training workshops, conferences and seminars and also through public awareness campaigns. While the institutions, workshops, seminars and conferences will help in the training of the trainers, the public awareness campaigns will help to create a general awareness among the citizenry.

For the developing countries to meet their manpower needs, they need support from the United Nations (UN), her agencies and the developed nations in form of training, sponsorships at conferences and provision of training and research facilities. Furthermore, there is a need for the UN and her agencies to sponsor multidisciplinary regional training programmes, workshops, and conferences in the developing countries. Such training and workshops encourage professional, teachers, and managers to attend. In this way a larger group of people are being trained. We are aware that the United Nations, her agencies and the developed countries have been helping in manpower training in the third world. What is, however, being advocated is increased training aid and in particular regional training programmes. These training programmes should be conducted in collaboration with the limited available staff in the developing countries. Sponsorship of joint researches in the developing countries will also be of immense help. The good thing about using information from the developing country is that researcher can continue in that research area even after the particular research is completed. In addition, some facilities previously used in one particular area could be useful in other areas thereby saving costs.

Nigeria has over 54 universities made up of Federal, State and private universities. Here universities have programmes in all the courses mentioned above but only very few offer courses directly targeted at coastal management issues. At the Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, University of Lagos, Lagos, the Department offers course in Coastal Management at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. There is also a Marine Science programme in the same university. Some other university may be offering similar programmes but the authors are unaware of them. There is therefore a need for awareness creation for the relevant fields to appreciate their relevance in coastal management through workshops, conferences and the inclusion of coastal management courses as part of the requirements for graduation in the relevant fields

In Figure 2.1, the drainage system in coastal areas of Nigeria with the country's mangrove ecosystem in the Niger Delta is shown. It is important to note that the mangrove ecosystem has presence in the entire coastal areas of Nigeria but more prominent in the Niger Delta.

4.0 CONCLUSIONS
This paper highlights the need for information on coastal physical systems and use, education and training in coastal management and capacity building in coastal management. There is a strong affirmation of the need to include traditional ecological knowledge and socio-cultural value as an input to management and importance of coastal area for indigenous peoples.

Communities in Nigeria particularly within the coastal areas of Nigeria have become conscious of the importance of managing their environment sustainably. This will ensure their full participation in ICAM. Programmes in the universities and polytechnics should be structured in such a way that the manpower produced in these institutions provides the much-needed manpower in integrated coastal areas management. In addition, conducting more workshops in Nigeria and other West and Central African countries will assist in capacity building. Finally, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation has muted the idea of formation of an African Association for Integrated Coastal Areas Management. If the idea materialises, it will assist in capacity building.

Finally, there is a need to get the rural communities in the coastal areas involved in coastal management issues so as to ensure full participation of the coastal communities. ICAM programmes. This was the case in the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project and the Niger Delta Environment Surveys.

References