Integrated coastal management at the regional level: lessons from Toliary, Madagascar

Within the framework of the National Environment Action Plan in Madagascar, an integrated coastal management (ICM) program was launched in 1997. In accordance with international guidelines, the integration effort on the coastal zone concerns the local, regional, and national levels. The field study we conducted in Madagascar in 1999 and 2000 showed that the results achieved by this program vary significantly from one level of action to another. In particular, the ICM process seems to be more difficult to initiate at the regional level. This paper presents the observations leading to this diagnostic, and enlightens some fundamental mechanisms that can explain it. General recommendations are formulated in relation to this case study.