WHEREAS everyone has the constitutional right to have the environment, including the coastal environment, protected for the benefit of present and future generations;

AND WHEREAS integrated management of the coastal zone as a system is essential to achieve the constitutional commitment to improving the quality of life of all citizens, while protecting the natural environment for the benefit of present and future generations;

AND WHEREAS the coastal zone is a unique part of the environment in which biophysical, economic, social and institutional considerations interconnect in a manner that requires a dedicated and integrated management approach;

AND WHEREAS much of the rich natural heritage of our coastal zone is being squandered by overuse, degradation and inappropriate management;

AND WHEREAS the economic, social and environmental benefits of the coastal zone have been distributed unfairly in the past;

AND WHEREAS the conservation and sustainable use of the coastal zone requires the establishment of an innovative legal and institutional framework that clearly defines the status of coastal land and waters and the respective roles of the public, the State and other users of the coastal zone and that facilitates a new co-operative and participatory approach to managing the coast;

AND WHEREAS integrated coastal management should be an evolving process that learns from past experiences, that takes account of the functioning of the coastal zone as a whole and that seeks to co-ordinate and regulate the various human activities that take place in the coastal zone in order lo achieve its conservation and sustainable use,

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, as follows:—