Asia-Pacific Coasts and Their Management : States of Environment

Coastal zones form a huge variety of natural environments, providing rich resources to humans. They are the place where active interaction occurs between land-based activities and ocean environments. They have attracted human population to form mega cities and economic developments on the coasts, which in turn has caused tremendous pressures on the natural environment. The Asia and Pacific region is a center of such dynamics. It is home to the world's largest region of coral reefs and mangroves. It accommodates two-thirds of the world's human population and its economic activities have the highest growth rate in the world. Ongoing degradation of the environment resulting from deforestation, desertification, and over-harvesting is becoming a matter of great concern, as floods and droughts occur as a result of this degradation. The Asia-Pacific also forms part of the 'Pacific Rim of Fire' and is, therefore, vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis, as the world is aware of after the Sumatra earthquake tsunami on 26 December 2004. Threats of global environmental change such as climate change and sea-level rise will superpose on such problems. Therefore, appropriate policies and measures are needed for the coastal management, both for the local and global trends. This book gives an overview of the state-of-the-art understanding on the drivers, state, and responses to the coastal environmental changes in the Asia and Pacific region. It will provide excellent perspectives for what is and will be going on in the region to researchers, students, policy makers, coastal managers and other stakeholders.