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Following the enactment of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill in November 2009, the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) acquired the responsibility for the Act’s implementation in Wales' coastal zone. Responsibilities extend to devising and implementing a system of marine spatial planning as well as contributing towards the establishment of an ecologically coherent UK network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in response to various international including European commitments, most notably the OSPAR Commission’s Recommendation 2003.3 for a North East Atlantic MPA network (OSPAR, 2006). With already over half of Welsh coastal waters designated as marine sites within the Natura 2000 network, WAG has initiated efforts to establish a number of Highly Protected Marine Conservation Zones (HPMCZs) by 2011. It is intended that all potentially damaging activities and disturbance will be excluded from such zones, including extraction activity, thus affording ecosystem rather than simply ecological protection to these areas. To facilitate site selection and stakeholder engagement, WAG has established a process and created a number of pan-Wales forums. These include a high level Steering Group of government and government agency representatives, a Stakeholder Advisory Group with wide geographical and sectoral membership (largely based on the pre-existing Wales Coastal and Maritime Partnership), and a Technical Advisory Group - to provide technical support and advice to the aforementioned groups as well as to collect and collate relevant data to support the selection of the zones and to use this data to develop site proposals. With a legal duty to sustainable development and a commitment under the marine legislation for socio-economic needs to inform the definition of marine conservation zones, WAG is attempting to integrate socio-economic factors into the site selection process as well as facilitating better marine stewardship and conflict minimisation. This paper outlines the conte

Residents’ perceptions of coastal flood risk and its management at Emsworth, United Kingdom have been analysed using a mail survey. Research findings indicate an apparent complacency of attitudes such as “I am safe" and “I can cope" with flooding. The need for more effective, simpler communication along with more publicity from Operating Authorities regarding coastal flood risk was apparent.

Adapting to climate change is a major challenge for local governments across Europe. This is particularly true for the local governments bordering the dynamic Severn Estuary. Like elsewhere in Europe, the multiple local authorities bordering the Severn, have many functions and are in a unique position to prepare for, and adapt to, anticipated climate change impacts. This paper summarises the results of a Severn Estuary Planning Review. This evaluated local government corporate responses to climate change and reviewed related policies in the development plans of the planning bodies around the estuary. The study revealed areas of policy coherence and divergence. Despite all the local governments having signed up to national political declarations on climate change and having devised or being in the process of devising climate change strategies, the focus remains on mitigation. The limited reference to shoreline management and Integrated Coastal Zone Management poses obstacles to coordinated action, much needed on an estuary divided by administrative borders and institutional barriers. These findings suggest a need for further policy guidance to support local policy development. Whilst presenting examples of good practice, relevant to local governments elsewhere, the stocktaking procedure also has potential for application elsewhere.

The goal of the DeltaNet project is to prompt an exchange of know-how and experience between the delta areas throughout Europe. The project has 9 partners: apart from RSD (Belgium and The Netherlands) other partners come from Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and Romania. It concerns estuarine areas where urbanisation, economic activity (ports) and the natural environment and landscape developments are familiar issues. Eventually the aim is to put such estuarine areas with expressly high and low dynamic functions on the European agenda as specific points for attention. The European delta areas share many common characteristics, problems and challenges. The delta and estuarine areas are cornerstones of a sustainable area-wide development within a united Europe, where population and the economies are concentrated within such areas; where nature and cultural heritage values have a high priority and where there are important challenges with regard to security (water balance) for future generations. The most important objective for DeltaNet is to set up an educational and policy network for the European delta areas. This network will deal with the various deltas in terms of geography as well as administration. This will guarantee concrete comparative analyses and the extrapolation of applicable insights and results. The various responsibilities in each area of governmental authorities and various institutions present a variety of challenges. DeltaNet will concentrate on the development of the particular mechanisms and processes for promoting a sustainable delta management. A first step is the exchange of experiences concerning water management (1), ports development (2), environmental issues (3) and the involvement of the various parties concerned (4). From this joint methodologies for integrated management (5) can be determined which, should make it possible for the various different partners to develop specific area-applicable methods for policy and