Chapter 19 Marine Planning and Coastal Zone Management

19.0 Introduction 
 

The coastal areas of County Wicklow are amongst the most scenic, sensitive and valuable resources in the County. Many diverse activities and industries, including marine and coastal recreation and tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, shipping and port activities, energy production and other commerce / trade, along with Wicklow’s largest towns, are located along Wicklow’s coastline. Our coastal areas are under significant pressure and they face many challenges. The sea itself is also an important resource for the County and many of the activities that take place off-shore have an impact on the land and coastal areas and therefore it is important to take into consideration such impacts 

Planning in our coastal and marine areas is changing in Ireland with new procedures and government policy emerging for marine spatial planning and the management of development in our maritime areas. Marine spatial planning is a new way of looking at how we use the marine area; it is about planning when and where human activities take place at sea.  It aims to balance the different demands for using the sea including the need to protect the marine environment. It’s about ensuring these uses and activities are as efficient and sustainable as possible. A marine spatial plan – in Ireland known as the National Marine Planning Framework– is the outcome of that process.  

The impact of climate change is a significant threat to Wicklow’s coastal areas as they are one of the most vulnerable areas in the County. Coastal ecosystems are already stressed by human activity, pollution, invasive species and storms, with climate change intensifying the impact on the coastline. Rising sea levels have the potential to change the shape of the coastline, contribute to erosion and inundate coastal ecosystems and eliminate wetlands. Warmer oceans may disrupt coastal and marine ecosystems. An integrated coastal zone management approach, with a variety of relevant organisations, has an important role to play in addressing the challenge of climate change.  

With reference to the National, Regional and County Objectives set out in Chapter 2 of this plan, the protection and appropriate development of our coastal zone and marine environment will contribute to numerous goals across the three pillars of ‘sustainable healthy communities’, ‘climate action’ and ‘economic opportunity’ by: 

-    conserving and enhancing coastal and marine biodiversity, protected habitats and species;
-    identifying, protecting and enhancing coastal green and blue infrastructure and ecosystem services and promote the sustainable management of strategic natural assets such as coastlines, farmlands, peatlands, uplands woodlands and wetlands;
-    building resilience to increased risks of extreme weather events, changes in sea level and patterns of coastal erosion to protect property, critical infrastructure and food security;
-    reduction and management of coastal and estuarine flood risk;
-    supporting and appropriately managing the impacts of the development of alternative and renewable sources of electricity including off shore wind, wave and tidal energy;
-    supporting employment growth around Wicklow’s natural resources and supporting key sectors for growth particularly the maritime industry including support services for off-shore wind energy, tourism and recreation;
-    ensuring access to coastal areas for active and passive uses to support physical and mental health and well-being within the community.

Continue reading Chapter 19. Download PDF