Local Government Planning for Coastal Protection: A Case Study of Cantabrian Municipalities, Spain

This paper describes a survey of Cantabrian local public officials to determine the degree of coastal protection within their municipal jurisdictions. The Cantabrian coastal zone has been intensively studied by physical scientists and Span implemented a recent coastal protection law. Given the growing development pressures in coastal Cantabria, the study was undertaken to assess the emphasis given to coastal planning by local governments. The findings show that the municipalities lack basic knowledge of their coastal zones and strive to develop them for greater tourism use rather than create management plans for coastal protection.