The International Workshop on Coastal Megacities, Challenges of Growing Urbanisation of the World’s Coastal Areas was held in Hangzhou, China, 27-30 September 1999, in co-operation with IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) and SOA (State Oceanic Administration, China), and with the collaboration of the International Ocean Institute. The workshop focused on the rapid development of coastal megacities and the relating environmental problems. Urban political leaders/officials in charge of city planning and coastal management from worldwide megacities (Jakarta, Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Lagos, Madras) were brought together with natural and social scientists working at the land-sea interface, and with national and local authorities concerned with coastal and sea management. Representatives from international organizations also contributed to the workshop. The workshop focused on three main themes: Managing the Coastal Environment; Social-Economic Development and Management; Solving Use Conflicts in Coastal Areas, and Integrated Approaches to Coastal Planning and Management in Megacities. The participants unanimously adopted the HANGZHOU DECLARATION, which calls for the application of the natural and social sciences to all stages of the integrated coastal area management process; the increase of education, training and public awareness on the interactions between coastal and urban environments; the establishment of a network of coastal megacities; and the assessment of the interrelationship between population pressure, poverty, affluence, environmental conditions and economic development. |
