Evolution of an approach to integrated adaptive management: The Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) tool

The coastal zone provides highly valuable resources for its residents and visitors. Increasing pressure for development and conservation of the natural environment can lead to conflict in the management of these areas. The Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) tool is an approach to the development of an iterative decision support tool for management within the coastal zone, including coastal lakes, inlets, lagoons and estuaries. The CLAM tool assists in identifying trade-offs between social, cultural, economic and ecological values within a coastal lake and its catchment for various future management scenarios. This paper describes the lessons learnt from applying the CLAM tool approach many times in New South Wales (Australia) and how this has been used to adapt and improve the process. Learning indicates that not only does a decision support tool need to be adaptive in order to best use available resources, but the approach to developing such tools also needs to be adaptive and improve in response to the successes and shortfalls of each application.