Key characteristics

• The entire coastal zone is managed, not just the narrow zone where breaking waves cause erosion and flooding. This includes all ecosystems, resources and human activity in the zone. 
• It recognises the importance of the coastal zone to people's livelihoods as, globally, very large numbers of people live and work at the coast - but their activities tend to degrade the coastal environment. 
• It recognises that management of the coast must be sustainable, meaning that economic development has to take place to improve the quality of life of people but that this means to be environmentally appropriate at equitable.