At the intersection of land and sea

Prof. Aldo Chircop is studying legal frameworks for government intervention in coastal management. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Nova Scotia’s rugged coast is the backbone of the cultural and economic identity of the province. Small fishing villages and large metropolitan centers stand side-by-side along our shores, bridging the gap between tradition and progression. This way of life is under pressure though. With increasing development, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns taking their toll on coastal communities around the globe, Dalhousie Law professor Aldo Chircop, knows how important it is to make coasts a priority before it’s too late.

Dr. Chircop has been a champion for the protection and preservation of coastlines for most of his career and was recently awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant to study legal frameworks for government intervention in coastal management.

“The coastal zone is the point of intersect between the land and sea, it’s a very unique kind of environment and it tends to be very sensitive,” says Dr. Chircop. “Coastal systems have developed naturally to protect the coast. When you start over developing these systems you lose that natural protection as well as biodiversity.”

The SSHRC grant will allow Dr. Chircop to contribute to the new field of coastal zone management law. Currently, there are laws to regulate oceans and waterways and others to deal with land use planning, but few consider both at the same time.

According to Dr. Chircop, the federal government typically regulates oceans, whereas most activities on dry land are the province’s responsibility. Political issues tend to get in the way of good coastal management, so he hopes his research will lead to a long-term legislative solution that will take politics out of the equation.

However, with so much of the world’s wealth tied to coastal development, regulation can be a difficult sell. For Dr. Chircop, the need for regulators to act is clear.

“Can we afford another Katrina?” asks Dr. Chircop, who believes poor regulation of coastal zone activities intensified the situation in New Orleans.

“For Nova Scotia, it was Hurricane Juan. Luckily we don’t have the same over-development and low-lying areas as New Orleans, but we’re still at risk. If Juan were as powerful as Katrina and hit Halifax from a different angle the storm surge could have flooded low-lying areas, including parts of downtown.”

Dr. Chircop’s research will centre on developing the necessary legal tools to empower governments to better protect and manage coastal areas. In particular, he will study how coastal zone management strategies can be legislated. 
  
His research will take three years to complete and will focus on compiling best practices from countries that already have coastal zone management plans. Looking at countries like the Netherlands and Australia may be helpful because they share similar challenges and policies as Canada, but he says smaller coastal countries are also developing innovative legal approaches.

“When you look at places like Barbados, South Africa and Cuba you see countries that really understand the threat,” says Dr. Chircop. “Much of their economy and population is tied to the coast, so looking at how and why they pursue certain legislative strategies can teach us a lot.”