Decision Making for Sustainable Use and Development - Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development - page 331

• HOW—How do we begin and continue to manage a lagoon for sustainability?

Establishing an integrated lagoon sustainable management plan is a
process for long-term integration into the temporal and spatial diversity
of decisions made about the lagoon system.

• WHO—Who should be involved in the process?

As many sectors/stakeholders as possible should be involved early on
and continually throughout the process to maximize both short- and long-
term successful implementation.

• WHERE—What area should be managed?

The entire lagoon watershed and exchange area must be considered for
sustainable management. This requires interjurisdictional coordination.

• WHEN—Over what time period is this necessary?

Sustainability infers a long-term intergenerational timeframe and
decision making will therefore need to be a continuing process that should
employ the most current and best available data and knowledge. Regular
evaluation intervals should be established to evaluate effectiveness of the
management plan and its implementation for the benefit of this and future
generations.

8.1.3 U P A

NDERLYING RINCIPLES AND SSUMPTIONS

• Sustainable management is a conscious social decision that provides for
the long-term health of both the ecological and economic systems of the
lagoon area. The finite capacity of the lagoon's natural capital (NC) cannot
meet the growing demands of the socio-economic system without a strat-
egy of sustainable management.
• The use of the best available information, knowledge, and tools, infused
throughout and an interactive process will result in improved, better-
informed decisions.
• The use of a model as a tool in the decision-making process will enhance
awareness of the interrelationships within the ecosystem, especially its
input and output variables. This will further enhance accuracy of predic-
tions for and awareness of the consequences of human actions and deci-
sions concerning the lagoon system.
• Implementation and integration will need to occur at various national,
regional, and state levels, but will be most effectively and ultimately
accomplished at the local level.

• Public and stakeholder input and involvement into the process provides for

increased acceptance of the plan and degree of implementation success.

8.1.4 W I D M ?

HAT S ECISION AKING

Decision making means choosing between alternative courses of action when the
consequences resulting from this choice are not always certain. Decision making
involves information processing. Therefore, both the information and the process
utilized are critical to effective decision making. The process of decision making calls