A proposal for boundary delimitation for integrated coastal zone management initiatives Pau Balaguer a, * , Rafael Sarda ´ b , Maurici Ruiz c , Amy Diedrich a , Guillermo Vizoso a , Joaquin Tintore ´ a a Cross-Disciplinary Oceanographic Group, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marque `s 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Spain b Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes, CEAB (CSIC), Acce´s a la Cala Sant Francesc 14,17300 Blanes, Spain c Laboratorio de Sistemas de Informacio ´n Geogra ´fica (LSIG), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Cra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain article info Article history: Available online 19 September 2008 abstract ICZM relies heavily on the definition of major multidisciplinary characteristics/elements of the coastal area of interest. Usually, only terrestrial boundaries are considered, which tend to respond to a specific sectoral problem and can be determined by administrative limits. In this study, we propose a method for establishing a decision-making tool to inform boundary delimitation for ICZM initiatives that is proactive and widely applicable as opposed to reactive and problem specific. This method integrates environ- mental, economic and societal characteristics of the marine and terrestrial boundaries of the coastal zone, starting at the boundary of the jurisdictional zone of influence (shoreline units), increasing in detail through the definition of their influential areas from jurisdictional, environmental or socio-economic perspectives (functional areas) and, within them, specifying the finest scale at which relevant indicator data may be obtained (analysis units). Ó 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. 1. Introduction Coastal areas constitute the basic implementation locus of ICZM. Due to the extreme variability of coastal areas, the highly diverse nature of these systems, and their socio-ecological value, appro- priate study units need to be selected from the very beginning to guide associated ICZM initiatives [1,2]. Effective ICZM requires that the problem being addressed can be defined within appropriate geographic boundaries that contain both causes and effects [3]. Although there are some notable studies focused on the delim- itation of coastal environments from an integrated management perspective (e.g. [4,5]), there is a noticeable absence of work dedicated to establishing proactive methods for delimiting boundaries for ICZM initiatives. The works that constitute a refer- ence in this field generally relate to a specific problem, such as pollution and/or resource-use conflicts [1,3,6,7], and delimit boundaries based exclusively on the area of influence of that problem. Other studies [2,8–10] relate solely to the administrative divisions of local areas or regions, or are centered in the zones delimited by regulations related to the physiographic and geomorphic characteristics of the coastal area. Homogeneous environmental management units (HEMUs) are large scale terri- torial units which have been used to define management bound- aries in some cases (see for example [1,2,11,12]). The boundaries of HEMUs are generally defined by coastal areas with similar envi- ronmental and socio-economic characteristics. These HEMUs are generally composed of local administrative units (LAUs equivalent to municipalities). Where smaller areas within HEMUs must be defined for management purposes, LAUs may not represent the most relevant scale needed to understand the interactions that may lead to problems and conflicts raised during the managerial process. Data availability, ecosystems, and jurisdictional boundaries also need to be taken into account. All of these factors result in the fact that boundary delimitation continues to be a challenge for coastal managers and scientists. The aim of this work is to propose a more proactive, widely- applicable method for delimiting boundaries of ICZM initiatives based not on a specific problem, but on data availability and the geo-environmental, socio-economic and jurisdictional character- istics of the management area. This method is developed and applied in the context of the coastal zone of the island of Mallorca, Spain (Balearic Islands, northwest Mediterranean Sea). Although presented in the context of an insular environment, the method- ology presented below may be applied to any coastal zone. The result of categorizing and defining territorial units using this method is a visual tool that can be used to make informed decisions * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ34 971 61 17 59; fax: þ34 971 61 17 61. E-mail address: vdctpbh4@uib.com (P. Balaguer). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ocean & Coastal Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ocecoaman 0964-5691/$ – see front matter Ó 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2008.08.003 Ocean & Coastal Management 51 (2008) 806–814