Integrated Coastal Zone Management – The Barbados ICZM Plan (2020 to 2030).

The ICZM Plan lays down a new strategy in order to better implement a climate and disaster risk resilient related ICZM approach which places an improved emphasis on adaptation strategies that provides the optimum response to factors that are exacerbated by climate change. This new approach introduces improved coastal risk understanding and procedures into infrastructure and non‐structural adaptation measures that are designed to increase resilience to climate induced coastal hazards whilst embracing ICZM principles and lessons from international best practice. The timeframe of this Plan is 10 years covering the period from 2020 to 2030. The purpose of the ICZM Plan is to provide detailed guidance for the management of coastal resources, uses, development and regulation along the coast of Barbados that embraces current and future climate and disaster related risks.
The ICZM Plan provides the guidance to deal effectively with known coastal hazards. Such measures will help to build coastal resilience and capacity within developmental planning decision making within the newly defined coastal zone management area (CZMA) whilst in addition seeking to reduce future coastal risks and encouraging sustainable coastal economic development for communities by supporting the promotion of healthy coastal ecosystems. The legal and institutional framework for risk‐resilient ICZM will be strengthened by updating existing legislation, regulations and policy relevant to ICZM and developing new ones. Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management will be mainstreamed in coastal management plans. Measures will be taken for the protection of coastal resources, and protection standards will be set and enforced. Research, monitoring and data collection will be strengthened, and databases will be established in the fields of coral reef, wetland, mangrove and seagrass. Marine water quality will be conserved through monitoring and data collection, identification of critical water quality characteristics for specific environments, establishment of appropriate standards both ambient and point of discharge, and enforcement of water quality standards through stakeholder engagement. The development and management of marine parks, reserves and beach accesses will be strengthened by identifying potential marine reserves and parks, setting beach management standard and collection data on beach users. Disaster mitigation will be implemented to cope with water hazards, such as flood; earth hazards, such as landslides and erosion; and wind hazards. Emergency preparedness will be strengthened by allocating items such as shelters and/or other supplies according to the expected need and developing emergency response regions. This Plan addresses social impact assessment, vulnerability mapping and gender analysis. The ICZM Plan sets out key requirements for the implementation of the ICZM Plan through the sections on approval processes, supporting implementation strategies, financial considerations as well as monitoring and evaluation procedures.