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Nova Scotia is truly a coastal province where the ocean is never more than a short drive away. Our coastal areas and resources provide us with the economic, social and environmental services that we need to thrive. Sound management and sustainable development of our coastal areas will protect our environment, enhance our quality of life, help keep our families and property safe, support good jobs, and provide new opportunities for growth and prosperity.
"Integrated Coastal Area Management can be defined as a continuous and dynamic process by which decisions are taken for the sustainable use, development and protection of the coastal and marine areas and resources. Integrated Coastal Area Management acknowledges the interrelationships that exist among coastal and ocean uses and the environments they potentially affect, and is designed to overcome the fragmentation inherent in the sectoral management approach. Integrated Coastal Area Management is multi-purpose oriented. It analyzes and addresses implications of development, conflicting uses, and interrelationships between physical processes and human activities, and it promotes linkages and harmonization among sectoral coastal and ocean activities" (Cicin-Sain & Knecht, 1998).
Cicin-Sain, Biliana, & Robert W. Knecht. Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management: Concepts and Practices. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1998.
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Managing our coast, with its diverse environments, users, and interests is a challenging task made all the more complex by a number of factors:
- Dynamic natural environment: Our coastlines are always changing…
- Watershed influences on coastal areas: Coastal waters are affected by activities far upland since run-off and many freshwater bodies flow to the sea…
- Concentration of people: Most Nova Scotians live along the coast…
- High concentration of activities: Our coastal areas have many uses, often competing/conflicting…
- Multiple jurisdictions: federal, provincial, municipal, aboriginal…
There are a number of priority coastal issue themes that directly relate to the sustainability of our coastal ecosystems and communities. These include:
- Coastal development
- Public coastal access
- Sea-level rise and storm events
- Working waterfronts
- Coastal water quality
- Sensitive coastal ecosystems and habitats
In order to leave a healthy and productive coast for future generations, we must learn to work together across governments and sectors to address the challenges we face today along our coast. To help make this happen, the Government of Nova Scotia has adopted a Coastal Management Framework.
 Provincial Oceans Network (PON)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Coastal Links
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