University of Twente Student Theses
Towards a sustainable blue economy : a spatial assessment of ecosystem services to inform development planning of Kenya’s coastal counties
Cattaneo, Marco (2024) Towards a sustainable blue economy : a spatial assessment of ecosystem services to inform development planning of Kenya’s coastal counties.
|
PDF
4MB |
| Abstract: | Rapid population growth in coastal areas of the Global South has intensified the demand for space and natural resources to support development. As a result, coastal communities are increasingly reliant on the diverse ecosystem services provided by land-sea interface ecosystems. Therefore, the spatial planning systems in these regions have the responsibility of incorporating ecosystem services into the planning process to ensure their sustainable use over time. This principle forms the foundation of the sustainable blue economy concept. Thanks to its representativity for studying the delicate balance between ecosystem services supply and rapid coastal development, Kilifi County (Kenya) was chosen as the case study area for this research. This research aimed to develop a methodology for spatially assessing key ecosystem services at the land-sea interface to inform development planning in coastal regions. The approach adopted combines quantitative spatial analysis methods, such as ecosystem services modelling and hotspot and coldspot analysis, with qualitative non-spatial analysis, including the review of development plans and key informant interviews. The study's ultimate outcome is a comparative assessment of the spatial distribution of key ecosystem services supply and the physical development actions outlined in the County development plans. The findings of the comparative assessment reveal partial overlap between ecosystem services supply and physical development actions in certain geographical areas of the County, particularly concentrated in the proximity of the coastline. Consistently, the qualitative analysis of the development plans and interviews with key informants in the County's planning system indicate a moderate degree of integration of both sustainable blue economy principles and ecosystem services in the planning system, highlighting several challenges for achieving the ecosystem-based approach to coastal development envisioned by the sustainable blue economy concept. The findings of this study underscore the need for more systematic incorporation of ESs and sustainable blue economy principles in the spatial planning system to ensure sustainable management of the coastal ecosystems. Recommendations for effective land-sea planning include the implementation of targeted compensatory strategies in areas with a high proposed development status and the promotion of non-extractive economic activities in ecologically valuable areas for ecosystem services supply. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ITC: Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation |
| Subject: | 43 environmental science, 74 (human) geography, cartography, town and country planning, demography |
| Programme: | Spatial Engineering MSc (60962) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/103988 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page