Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in the Coastal Water Quality Sector: A Priority in the Frame of the ICZM

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) is the method most commonly used for the assessment of the costs and effectiveness of alternative policy options on the environment. The objective of this paper is to describe the priority of the policy area “coastal water pollution control from land uses, in catchment area” in the frame of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The evaluation of related ICZM options is effected through use of the CEA; this policy area can be a distinct study, on which other seafront management ICZM policy areas can be based. This is also based on the fact that the indicators used in the Coastal water pollution control from land uses policy area are different from the indicators for seafront management. The differences in ICZM indicators result to a lower number of variables, and consequently to a better development and use of all the data. In the present work the indicators needed for the application of the CEA in the water quality policy area are identified.