Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as a tool for integration within coastal planning

Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is widely recognised as a key mechanism for asserting sustainable development objectives within coastal areas. However, despite significant developments in ICZM practice and development, a number of challenges remain. Particular concerns relate to the existence of a limited understanding of the relationship between biophysical and socioeconomic processes and poor mechanisms for institutional coordination. This article explores the contribution that strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can make as a decision-making tool for integration within ICZM. Through the adoption of systematic "tiered" assessment procedures, it is argued that SEA can help identify and mitigate competing development pressures.