CoCoNet: Coastal Communities Network

A core objective of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is to improve the quality of life (environmental, social and economic) of coastal communities by working to achieve sustainable development of the coastal environment. Recognising the role and importance of coastal communities in coastal resource management, the objective of the Coastal Communities Network (CoCoNet) project was to promote awareness of ICZM at the local level by providing a platform for dialogue, information exchange and relationship building. The project also examined contemporary approaches to community involvement in ICZM. The CoCoNet project, an INTERREG IIIA cross-border initiative between Ireland and Wales, was structured around three workshops. The workshop series provided opportunities for networking and facilitated the transfer of knowledge and expertise. Each workshop had a specific focus and objective and included key presentations, themed sessions, field excursions, discussion and interactive sessions. The CoCoNet project revealed the salient issues and obstacles facing coastal communities with an interest in the sustainable management of their local coastal resources. Examining the heterogeneous mix of community-based approaches to ICZM enabled the identification of good practice and in certain instances the development of solutions and possibilities for future collaboration across the Southern Irish Sea region. The corollary of the CoCoNet process was the consensus-based development of a series of recommendations to progress ICZM in the Southern Irish Sea region. These are encapsulated in the Wexford Declaration, which urges governments to support the empowerment of local communities, including local government, to secure local sustainability of the coastal and marine environment.