COASTAL ZONE

Characteristics of Coastal Zone

Coastal zone plays an important part of peoples’ life. As a comparison, coastal zone represents 10% of the total earth surface but inhibited by 50% of the population. In South East Asia, 70% of the population lives in coastal area. In Malaysia, many earlier establishments lay spread in the coastal zone area. Examples include Kuala Lumpur, Port Klang, Malacca, Johor Baru and Penang. Now, all of major towns in Malaysia, and all the 14 state capitals, lies in the coastal zone area.

Benefits of Coastal Zone

A lot of benefits can be derived from coastal zone. They serve as a purpose of transport, food supply, livelihood, energy, medicine, as well as recreation. Among the activity that vastly dominates the coastal zone includes industry, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, poultry rearing, urban development, residential, port and shipping, and mining.

Among economic benefits and resources that is vastly available at the coastal zone includes fish, agriculture and poultry for food, mangrove for construction or fuel, mining for raw material supply and industry. Its nature pristine condition is generating tourism industry.

Naturally, coastal zone also serve as beach natural protection and spawning area for crabs, shrimps and fish.
 

Issues in Coastal Zone

Due to its tremendous benefits and resources despite its limited space and reserves, coastal zone is subjected to various threats. Among others are overexploitation or unsustainable use of resources, habitat conversion, siltation and land-based and sea-based pollution. Uncontrolled habitat conversion lessens the natural area and thus, creating imbalance of ecosystem in the area which always lead to species extinction. Pollution comes from various sources in industry, agriculture, poultry rearing and aquaculture. This usually arises from population stress which creating a cheap bulk demands for various goods and services as well as contend for space.