ICZM AND THE SEA OF MARMARA: THE ISTANBUL CASE

Abstract

Coastal areas are the most attractive places of the planet. The shores occupy less than 15% of the Earth's surface and they shelter more than 40% of the world's population. The number of people expected to reside in the coastal zone in 2025 will constitute 75% of the world's population. The coastal areas are rich sources for producing goods and services and most of them relate to commercial/industrial activities. Coastal areas have important natural, socio-cultural, and economic potential. As a natural result, throughout the history these areas have been the centre of many human activities and today they account for around 60 sectoral activities. The everincreasing pressure generated from urbanization and economic activities on coastal areas coupled with environmental problems, required the adoption of new approaches on Integrated Coastal Zone Managements (ICZM).