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Abstract:
Coastal areas of Oman are in the focus of intensive tourism, urbanization and other development activities and are subject to changing physical processes causing significant natural environment modifications and such changes have been seen over the past few years. Government of Oman has worked out comprehensive coastal zone management plans towards protection of coral reefs, wetlands, mangrove, turtles and other resources, including land and groundwater resources in order to meet the challenges of environmental protection along with the development. Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) has result an approach with the government developing legislations for coastal zone protection, management plans, recovery and governance along with awareness raising programs. However, public participation along with capacity building efforts could be increased at all levels; the better it would be for the coast and for posterity. This review also shows that in the past few years, there have been more research and technical studies through projects that have increased scientific knowledge and allowed access to the best techniques and knowledge available at international and national levels. However, knowledge also needed on coastal processes to establish techniques for minimizing risks and climate change adaptation focusing on biotic communities and environmental quality. Further, Omani coastal zone management would benefit from the application of economic valuation techniques and instruments.
Keywords: coastal management, environment, programs, policies, Sultanate of Oman.
JEL Classification: Q15, R11.
1. Introduction
Over the years, coastal zones have become very important and a coastal zone occupy around 20% of the earth's surface but provides a place for more than 45% of the world population and 75% of the world's largest urban agglomerations (Crossland et al. 2005, Choudri et al. 2016a). The functioning of coastal and related marine areas is maintained through a diversity of ecosystems, which includes coral reefs, mangroves, beaches and many other resources. Coastal zone ecosystems are impacted by environmental change, which are dynamic in nature that occurs across the boundary separated by land and the ocean (Choudri et al. 2013). The drivers of natural and anthropogenic change cause serious impacts ranging from climate change, erosion, siltation, eutrophication, over-fishing to expansion of the built environment and likely inundation of coastal areas due to rise in the sea levels (Ahmed and Choudri, 2012). Thereby, most of...