The Wadden Sea protection and management scheme—towards an integrated coastal management approach?

The Wadden Sea is Europeʹs largest and most important marine wetland, a marine area of outstanding international importance shared by Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands. Nowhere else in the world is there an area on a similar scale and multifaceted which contains such a complex of tidal flats, gullies salt marshes, dunes and islands. The Wadden Sea is now subject to a comprehensive nature protection scheme on the national and regional level as well as to extensive protection and management arrangements between the countries in the framework of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation. Central elements of the trilateral arrangements are the guiding principles, common management principles and the common targets upon which common policies and management have been agreed on. has been a gradual shift in the management issues of the Wadden Sea from addressing the problems within the area to an acknowledgement of the importance of managing the Wadden Sea in a larger coastal context and addressing the relationship issues. The European Union ICZM program has particularly advanced the discussions. dden Sea conservation and management scheme is based on an ecosystem approach which aims at preserving the integrity and functioning of the system and allows for a sustainable use of the area within that framework. It is perceived mainly as an environmental issue, whereas the social and economic developments in the coastal zone are equally a part of the sustainable development concept. Therefore, a stakeholder forum, the Wadden Sea Forum, has been established in an attempt to implement a sustainability concept to support the development of new social and economic perspectives for the region. This approach is also important with a view to maintain the support for a sound management of the coastal zone. Sustainable development is a key concept in a strategic approach to integrated coastal zone management.