Ecological and Socio-Economic Impacts of Watershed Development on Coastal and Marine Areas

Date

2010-11

Authors

Montagna, Paul A.
Kim, Hae-Cheol
Palmer, Terence A.
Pollack, Jennifer Beseres

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Abstract

Large water development projects in Korea could have effects on coastal resources. Like all other countries in the World, water is an important resource to Korea, and water needs will grow as the population grows.

It is useful to review what is known about the importance of freshwater inflow to estuaries so that coastal resources can be managed wisely. Fresh water is important in diluting marine water in estuaries, which are the most productive environments on Earth. Fresh water also delivers nutrients and sediments to the coast. Estuaries are characterized by salinity and nutrient gradients, which are important in regulating many biological processes.

As water is diverted for human consumption, it is common for many environmental problems to appear. While many countries have water quality programs, few are dealing with water quantity alterations. The first step is to define marine resources to protect, and the water quality conditions those resources need to thrive. The second step is to determine the flow regimes needed to maintain the desired water quality conditions.

Finally, many regions are using adaptive management programs to manage freshwater resources. These programs set goals to protect ecosystem resources, identify indicators, and monitor the indicators over time to ensure that the goals are appropriate and resources are protected.

By conducting in situ monitoring and research, scientists can more accurately determine the ecological and socio-economical impacts of changing freshwater inflows. In turn, stakeholders and managers can make well-informed decisions to successfully manage freshwater inflows to their local coasts.

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Citation

Montagna, P.A., H.-C. Kim, T. Palmer, and J. B. Pollack. 2010. Ecological and Socio-economic Impacts on Coastal and Marine Areas from Watershed Development. Final Report to the Korea Maritime Institute. Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas, 106 p.