Impact assessment

The evaluation of ecological effects to determine their impact on human needs, environmental, social and economic (see also “environmental impact assessment” above).


Impermeable groyne

 A groyne constructed such that sand cannot pass through the structure (but sand may still move over or around it).


Indicator

A measurement that can be used to assess the condition, status or trends of an ecological resource. The term is widely used in water resources management programs, but has many different interpretations. It is preferable in risk assessment to avoid using the term indicator and instead use the more specific terms measure of effect, measure of exposure, and assessment endpoint, as appropriate.


Infrastructure

 Usually the publicly constructed support system for a community including roads, electricity, communications, water, sewage, etc.

 


Initial Environmental Evaluation IEE

 The initial environmental assessment of a development activity at the project feasibility phase in order to provide early identification of potential environmental impacts and to determine whether a full EIA will be necessary.

 


Inshore (zone)

 In beach terminology, the zone of variable width extending from the low water line through the breaker zone.


Institutional Integration

 The process of bringing together separate functions of government at different levels together with other stakeholders to provide a unified approach to interventions in the managed area.


Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)

 The management of sectoral components (e.g., fisheries, forestry, agriculture, tourism, urban development) as part of a functional whole (a holistic approach to management). In ICM the focus is on the users of natural resources, not on the stock perse of these resources. Frequently used synonyms for ICM are integrated coastal area management (ICAM) and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM).


Integrated Coastal Zone Management ICZM

Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is a dynamic, multidisciplinary and iterative process to promote sustainable management of coastal zones. It covers the full cycle of information collection, planning (in its broadest sense), decision making, management and monitoring of implementation. ICZM uses the informed participation and cooperation of all stakeholders to assess the societal goals in a given coastal area, and to take actions towards meeting these objectives. ICZM seeks, over the long-term, to balance environmental, economic, social, cultural and recreational objectives, all within the limits set by natural dynamics. 'Integrated' in ICZM refers to the integration of objectives and also to the integration of the many instruments needed to meet these objectives. It means integration of all relevant policy areas, sectors, and levels of administration. It means integration of the terrestrial and marine components of the target territory, in both time and space. See also: Coastal Zone Management.


Integrated regional development planning

Large-scale development planning for a region which incorporates all salient planning parameters including economic, socioeconomic, environmental and others.

 


Intertidal zone

The transition zone between the sea and the land, often defined as the zone that lies between mean higher high water and mean lower low water lines.


Inundation Area

Area flooded with water by the tsunami.


Isobath

 A contour line connecting points of equal water depths on a chart.


Isostatic

Local or regional changes in the ground surface elevation, resulting in land subsidence or uplift.


Issue analysis

The exploration, definition, and evaluation of the basic resource management issues to be faced in an ICZM program


Iterative Process

A process involving the continual refinement of goals and objectives as new knowledge and questions generated by investigation and analysis feed back into the investigative cycle. See also Process Approach