Study On ICM Coordination Mechanism Evaluation Index System

More and more countries and districts have considered integrated coastal management (ICM) as an effective approach to solve the present and future exploitation and protection of the coastal zone. The key challenges to ensure ICM implementation are to create coordination mechanism and establish an effective way to evaluate the coordination mechanism which can help ICM more oriented toward outcome-based results rather than on input-based accounting.In this paper, index system for evaluating ICM coordination mechanism was established based on the literature review, case study and derivation Delphi Method. Xiamen ICM program which began in 1994 was chosen as a case study in this paper for it has been a good job in Asian and Pacific regions.Firstly, the basic conceptions of ICM and coordination mechanism were introduced respectively.Secondly, literature review about ICM and coordination was depicted and series of evaluation methods of ICM which avail the establishment of evaluation system of coordination mechanism of ICM were analyzed and compared. The two five-year ICM programs in Xiamen, China were reviewed and evaluated from the perspective of the effects of coordination mechanism.Thirdly, an index system for evaluating ICM coordination mechanism was designed which is the main creative work in this paper. 43 indicators were chosen based on research status of ICM and its coordination mechanism in the world, especially the work of Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and Xiamen program. Then derivation Delphi Method which handle by 5 scientists was used to filter the 43 indicators to 27 indicators that covered 9 themes: Policy Guarantee, Legal Guarantee, Organization Guarantee, Financial Guarantee, Science and Technology Guarantee, Public Participation Guarantee, Economy, Society and Ecology. These 9 themes were under the indicator system framework "Input" and "Effect".Fourthly, Xiamen case was used as an example to explain the meaning of the indicators and why they were chosen. The acquisition pattern and processed quantitatively of indicators were interpreted. Finally, the evaluation criteria and practical application of indicators were discussed.