The need for coordination Coastal zones are complex areas with a highly specific natural character. As a contact zone between land and sea they possess an exceptional diversity of environments, biotic communities, and animal- and plant species. Coastal areas are, owing to their specific characteristics, also very attractive, commercially, for the development of coastal-related economic activities, e.g. port development, fishing, the abstraction of drinking water in the sand dunes, tourism and recreation. All of these activities lead to a highly dynamic coastal region. Examples of these regional dynamics include mobility, construction activities, street furniture and signage, and other public infrastructure.Because of the key role the coast fulfils of being a place to work, live and relax in, adequate standards of safety must be ensured as well. And that implies a well-conceived system of coastal protection.Since numerous activities take place on that 65km-long coastline, disputes arise, inevitably, between the users of the seaboard. But precisely because of those multitudinous users, there are many unique opportunities out there too, which have to be seized in an acceptable way. To keep all this on the right track a well thought tuning is needed. Which is why three partners submitted a project proposal to establish and develop a coordination centre for a fully-integrated management of our coastal zone. The coordination centre is meant to be a neutral point of contact in the coastal zone. The partners are:-the provincial government of West Flanders, acting as project leader;-the Flemish government, for the account of the Flemish Minister for the Environment and in its role as chairman of an inter-ministerial steering committee on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM);-the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ); as a data- and information centre. Objectives of the coordination centre In order to steer integrated management on the Belgian coast in the right direction, the coordination centre has, as its object, the ...