Global Economic Impacts of Shoreline Degradation: A Socioeconomic Analysis

Abstract

Shoreline Degradation is an economically important issue, which damages coastal tourism economies, and causes shifts in flows of tourist capital. Shifts in flows of tourist capital have the potential to cause shifts in economic power relationships between nations. Governments and planning agencies should acknowledge the inherent dependence of coastal tourism economies on shoreline health and water quality, and conceptions framing the two issues as dichotomous are destructive - causing urban decisions to be made as if environmental and economic interests are mutually exclusive. It is important that such perceptions shift in order to maintain healthy coastal economies. Additionally, the socio- economic impacts of poorly planned and managed tourism industries need to be recognized, in the knowledge that broader economic health of a state or nation is not a definitive indicator of quality of life of residents of the immediate host population in the tourism community.