The development phases of coastal management in tropical countries are described. Precolonial, centralized, community based, and collaborative coastal management are identified as forms of management which have evolved to what today is called integrated coastal management. Centralized management began during colonial times when any attempt at management was orchestrated from the top of government. Community based coastal Management, in response to the failures of more centralized approaches, began in the Philippines through several projects, the experience of which spread to other countries in Southeast Asia and to Ecuador in the 1980s. The concept of collaborative management is now accepted as a description of variations in joint management arrangements between government and community or with the private sector stakeholders. It is suggested that collaborative management and integrated coastal management are more or less synonymous. The trends identified within tropical coastal management include interdisciplinary research and management integration, valuing traditional knowledge and management systems, increasing reliance on local participation, and using participation oriented research approaches. It is seen that the capacity for improved coastal management is increasing dramatically with a strong emphasis on training through academe and field learning trials. The authors ave positive about current developments in coastal management, while cautioning practitioners that global economics will increasingly impact the use and conservation of coastal resources. A theme is that local government and community accountability in coastal management will help make efforts effective and move sustainable.
