Strategic coastal governance issues in Fiji: The challenges of integration

This paper examines the governance of coastal environments in Fiji with a view to identifying the strategic issues that constrain the achievement of integrated coastal management. Integration has, in recent years, become a major focus of efforts to improve environmental management in many parts of the world. This issue is pursued by using governance as a framework. The dominant concepts and strategies being used around the world in environmental governance are then considered as a prelude into the identification and discussion of the major governance issues affecting coastal management in Fiji. These are identified as: (i) integration and coordination, (ii) the need for system-wide governance reform, (iii) the degree of centralisation, (iv) coastal planning, (v) information and (vi) the capacity of governance.