2004 Volume 17 Issue 3 Pages 67-79
ABSTRACT:Local coastal zone management (CZM) is becoming one of the more important issues after major legal revisions of coastal laws in Japan. Concerned in the management process, participation has accelerated particularly in the local level. This article discusses participation and autonomy with particular interest in open source CZM. The author explores the concepts of open source management and autonomy of management system based on a case study of coastal forest conservation at Syonai coast in Yamagata. The transitional stages of participation and the relationship with autonomy of the system are observed. It has also been identified that the roles of the intermediary and the interpreter are important to facilitate the development process of management. In addition, a circuit model that explains the transformational changes in CZM is used to describe these roles. The author believes that the open source approach can be a unique and effective tool for designing a local coastal zone management system. It is believed that this article will contribute to the local coastal zone management development.
