GOVERNING THE COAST IN A RAPIDLY URBANIZING CITY: ZAMBOANGA CITY’S COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT - IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCES, INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS, AND POLICY LESSONS

Abstract

Coastal zones concentrate ecological value, livelihoods, and urban development pressures, making them a governance problem as much as an environmental one. This study analyzes how Zamboanga City, Philippines has designed and implemented coastal zone management (CZM) amid overlapping mandates, limited administrative capacity, and competing economic and political interests. Drawing on mixed methods—key informant interviews, structured surveys, and field observations—triangulated with government reports and peer-reviewed literature, the research assesses the performance of local CZM arrangements in terms of policy coherence, implementation capability, enforcement credibility, and stakeholder legitimacy.

Findings indicate that Zamboanga City’s coastal governance has been shaped by three interlocking constraints: (1) resource and capability gaps that limit monitoring, enforcement, and program continuity; (2) coordination failures across agencies and jurisdictions that fragment planning and dilute accountability; and (3) distributional tensions among fishers, coastal communities, tourism and port-related interests, and regulators that complicate compliance and collective action. Despite these constraints, several implementation pathways have generated measurable governance gains, particularly where incentives and roles are clear: community-based resource management with local monitoring, spatial and zoning instruments that reduce use conflicts, and public–private partnerships that mobilize financing and technical support.

The study argues that effective CZM in Zamboanga requires an integrated governance model that aligns ecological objectives with socioeconomic realities and strengthens the “authorizing environment” for enforcement. Policy recommendations include establishing a dedicated coastal management coordinating unit with defined authority and performance metrics; institutionalizing inter-agency coordination and data-sharing; expanding meaningful stakeholder participation beyond consultation toward co-management; and investing in enforcement systems that combine regulatory capacity, community legitimacy, and transparent sanctions. By foregrounding the implementation and institutional dynamics of CZM, the study offers transferable lessons for coastal cities facing similar governance and sustainability trade-offs.