Coastal Resources Center

Web address
http://crc.uri.edu

The Coastal Resources Center works to advance sustainable development of the coastal environment within Rhode Island, the United States, and globally. CRC's programs are conducted with governmental and nongovernmental partners to address the different stages in the coastal management cycle. CRC is recognized internationally as a leader in formulating effective responses to coastal management issues. CRC focuses on field programs, research and learning, education and training, and communications.

Expertise
Coastal governance
Integrated coastal management
Watershed management
Integrated natural hazard mitigation

Marine Activities
Field Programs: Through its field programs, CRC works with partners both locally and abroad to develop and apply the concepts and tools of coastal governance. All field programs are formulated and implemented through a participatory, learning-based approach to integrated coastal management (ICM).
International Program
CRC, in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), works in developing countries to promote conservation and sustainable use of coastal resources to improve governance; stakeholder understanding of and participation in the resolution of coastal issues; human and institutional capacity for the practice of ICM; and dissemination of ICM concepts and tools.
Indonesia: Indonesia's Coastal Management Program, Proyek Pesisir, addresses both national policy and site-specific issues. At field sites in North Sulawesi, Lampung and East Kalimantan, ICM strategies and best practices for sustainable coastal resource use are being developed and tested, in conjunction with local communities and provincial authorities. At the national level, Proyek Pesisir is strengthening the institutional and policy framework for coastal resources management and promoting the replication of experience gained at the field sites.
Tanzania: The Tanzania Coastal Management Partnership works with a network of ICM programs and practitioners to promote a participatory process that unites government and the community, science and management, and sectoral and public interests to conserve and develop coastal ecosystems and resources.
Mexico: CRC's work in Mexico focuses on community-based management in three protected areas and/or critical ecosystems. Environmentally compatible tourism development is a central theme in southern Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula and in several locations in the Gulf of California.
Central America: CRC provides coastal management expertise in a joint project (PROARCA/Costas) with the Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund that is promoting marine conservation and ICM in Central America.
Ecuador: CRC provides technical assistance to Ecuador's Coastal Management Program as it implements the policies and plans formulated through an earlier CRC/USAID initiative. This work is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.
The US Program
CRC's US Program works through partnerships with government, business and citizens to build capacity for integrated management and sustainable use of coastal resources. New techniques in informational policy are tested in Rhode Island and are applied in coastal communities worldwide.
Watersheds: The Aquidneck Island Partnership brings together diverse organizations to develop management strategies that balance economic development, environmental considerations and the island's quality of life.
The Pawcatuck Watershed partnership is a broad coalition of federal agencies working together to develop management strategies for the Pawcatuck watershed. CRC facilitates communication between these agencies and local stakeholders.
Rhode Island's Watershed Approach initiative, developed as a partnership between CRC and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, applies the experience gained in the Aquidneck Island and Pawcatuck watersheds to develop a framework for collaborative resource management of all the state's watersheds.

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Natural Hazard Mitigation
CRC is working with government and private partners on hazard mitigation projects at the local, state and federal levels to minimize the damage and costs of natural disasters. Rather than after-the-fact rapid response and recovery, this initiative works to mitigate risks to life and property before natural disasters occur.

Research and Learning
CRC works with international organizations to refine coastal management concepts and tools, document experience in diverse settings, and evaluate projects and programs sponsored by the international donor community. Since 1996, much of this work has been carried out through a multi-donor initiative termed "the common methodology for learning." Major products include a survey of evaluation methods, a manual for assessing progress in coastal management and the final evaluations of projects in various nations.

Training and Education
CRC trains coastal managers by offering workshops that emphasize the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to create integrated programs with a focus on ecosystems governanace. CRC offers short-term training programs around the world; by 1998 more than 750 professionals representing more than 50 countries had attended these courses. CRC's four-week Summer Institute in Coastal Management and two-week, more specialized courses, employ methodologies that draw on the experience of the participants, are interactive, and feature problem solving in small groups.

Communications
With 27 years of experience in developing and testing approaches to coastal governance in the United States, and more than 10 years of work in developing nations, CRC shares its experience through its technical report series, newsletters, and networks for coastal managers. CRC's international newsletter of coastal management, Intercoast, reaches more than 5,000 coastal managers worldwide.

Marine Publications
Olsen, S.B., K. Lowry, J. Tobey, et al. 1997. Survey of Current Purposes and Methods for Evaluating Coastal Management Projects and Programs Funded by International Donors. Coastal Resources Management Project II. Coastal Management Report #2200. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Olsen, S.B., J. Ottenwalder, M. Smith, and A.M. Suarez. 1997. Final Evaluation Global Environmental Facility: Protecting Biodiversity and Sustainable Development of the Sabana-Camaguey Project. Coastal Resources Management Project II. Coastal Management Report #2201. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Tobey, J., J. Clay, and P. Vergne. 1998. Maintaining a Balance: The Economic, Environmental and Social Impacts of Shrimp Farming in Latin America. Coastal Management Report #2202. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Johnston, R.J. and S.B. Olsen. 1998. Towards a Typology of Coastal Management Contexts: A Comparative Analysis of Long-Term Coastal Ecosystem Change. Coastal Management Report #2203, URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Torrell, E. 1998. In Search of Adaptive Management: The Cycles of Ecosystem Change and Management in Narragansett Bay. Coastal Management Report #2204. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Pollnac, R.B. 1998. Rapid Assessment of Management Parameters for Coral Reefs. Coastal Management Report #2205. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Hale, L.Z., E. Meltzer, and M. Ngoile. 1998. Application of International Experience to Formulation of a National Policy for Coastal Management for the Republic of South Africa. Coastal Management Report #2206. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Olsen, S.B. and M. Ngoile. 1998. Final Evaluation Global Environment Facility: Belize/Sustainable Development and Management of Biologically Diverse Coastal Resources. Coastal Management Report #2207. Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Olsen, S.B. and J. Tobey. 1997. Final Evaluation Global Environment Facility: Patagonian Coastal Zone Management Plan. Coastal Management Report #2208. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Desbonnet, A. and L.Z. Hale. 1998. Project Monitoring Plan. Results Framework, Results Indicators, Worksheets. Coastal Management Report #2209. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Pogue, P. and V. Lee. 1998. Effectiveness of State Coastal Management Programs in Providing Public Access to the Shore: A National Overview. Coastal Management Report #2210. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Olsen, S., K. Lowry, and J. Tobey. 1998. A Manual for Assessing Progress in Coastal Management. Coastal Management Report #2211. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.
Johnson, R. 1998. Aquidneck Island Open Space: An Economic Perspective. Coastal Management Report #2212. URI, Coastal Resources Center, Narragansett, RI.

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