**Session No. 20**

**Course Title: Coastal Hazards Management**

**Session Title: Ethical Dimensions of Coastal Hazards Management**

**Author: Professor Tim Beatley, University of Virginia**

**Time: 50 minutes**

**Objectives:**

20.1 Define what "ethics" are, and their essential role in influencing
policy and planning.

> 20.2. Identify the main ethical quandaries or dilemmas likely to be
> faced by professionals involved coastal hazards management.
>
> 20.3 Present and discuss a series of scenarios that demonstrate (and
> challenge students to think about) the ethical dimensions of coastal
> hazards management.
>
> .

**Scope:**

This is the first of two sessions dealing with ethical aspects of
coastal hazards management. In the first session, the concepts of ethics
and values are introduced, and key ethical questions in coastal hazards
management are raised. Scenarios based on coastal hazard issues are also
offered for discussion prompts. Session 21, that follows, will in more
detail review the variety of often conflicting and competing values that
come into play, and will further extpand and elaborate upon the ethical
dimensions of mitigation policies and actions.

It is important that the students be made aware that some of the issues
raised during this Session and the next may be prone to divergent
perspectives. Lively debate should not be discouraged, with the prior
agreement that opposing sides are to be respected by one another, and
that all points of view are equally valid during class discussion.

**Readings (for Sessions 20 and 21):**

*Instructor and Student Readings:*

Godschalk, David R., et al. 1999. *Natural Hazard Mitigation: Recasting
Disaster Policy and Planning.* Washington, D.C.: Island Press, pp.
479-524: "Ethical Guidelines for Hazard Mitigation."

Beatley, Timothy et al. 2002. *An Introduction to Coastal Zone
Management*, Second Edition. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, pp. 63-89.

*Additional Instructor Readings:*

Beatley, Timothy. 1989. "Towards a Moral Philosophy of Natural Disaster
Mitigation." *International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters*
7(1): 5-32.

Beatley, Timothy. 1994. *Ethical Land Use: Principles for Policy and
Planning*. Johns Hopkins University Press.

**PowerPoint Slides:**

**PowerPoint 20.1 What Are Ethics?**

**PowerPoint 20.2 What Are Values?**

**PowerPoint 20.3 Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards Management**

**Handout:**

**Handout 20.1: Ethical Case Studies for Discussion**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**General Requirements:**

In this session, the instructor will first introduce ethics and values
as an important element in any discussion of coastal hazards, and that
policy responses to coastal hazards have implicit value assumptions. The
decision even to adopt (or not) a coastal hazards policy represents a
value choice and ethical position.

This session is to be presented as lecture supported by PowerPoint
slides, with ample opportunity for class discussion. Class discussion is
significantly enhanced through the consideration of hypothetical coastal
hazard conflicts and dilemmas. A series of ethical examples are
presented during Objective 20.3 that the instructor can use to provoke
and stimulate discussion. These ethical dilemmas appear in Handout 20.1,
which is available in Appendix A of this Session for copying and
distribution to the students.

Objective 20.1 Define what "ethics" are, and their essential role in
influencing policy and planning.

**Requirements:**

The content should be presented as a lecture, supported by PowerPoint
slides. Class discussion is to be encouraged.

The following PowerPoint slides will be used during this Objective:

**PowerPoint 20.1 What Are Ethics?**

**PowerPoint 20.2 What Are Values?**

**Remarks:**

**[What are values and ethics?]{.underline}**

**\[PowerPoint 20.1 What Are Ethics\]**

-   Here we discuss some ethical preliminaries:

    -   **Ethics** or **moral philosophy** is that branch of philosophy
        that deals with good and bad, right and wrong. Ethics or ethical
        standards represent a principle or a set of moral principles for
        guiding our actions, our behavior, our choices.

    -   Ethics can be viewed as the **deliberative process** by which
        individuals and society reflect upon and make **judgments and
        choices** about the use and **allocation of resources**.

    -   Ethical choices are **principled choices**, in the sense that
        they are guided by moral standards, principles, guidelines.

> **\[PowerPoint 20.2 What Are Values?\]**

-   **Ethics are different from values** in the sense that the latter
    are static representations of what people think or believe at a
    particular point in time. Assessing and understanding values is a
    useful process in making ethical judgments, but ethics must be
    viewed as a more deliberative and dynamic process by which
    individuals and society actively seek to make decisions that are
    just and fair.

-   **A distinction between fact and value** is an important one in the
    field of ethics, and in the practice of making ethical judgments
    about *coastal hazards.*

    -   A factual belief that, say, investing in beach re-nourishment
        will solve a community's beach erosion problem, does not
        automatically demonstrate that this is the ethically correct or
        right thing to do.

    -   An ethic cannot be derived from a factual belief or
        circumstance, though factual relationships are certainly
        relevant considerations in making moral or ethical (and
        certainly policy) judgments.

    -   We may conclude that every individual has the right to a minimum
        level of safety from hurricanes and coastal storms, an ethical
        position, and yet still decide against adopting a specific
        proposal (e.g. an evacuation plan) if we believe the proposed
        action or policy or program will not be effective (a factual
        proposition).

    -   This can also be described as a distinction between ends and
        means.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**Objective 20.2 Identify the main ethical quandaries or dilemmas likely
to be faced by professionals involved coastal hazards management.**

# 

**Requirements**:

The content should be presented as a lecture, supported by PowerPoint
slide. Class discussion is to be encouraged.

The following PowerPoint slide will be used during this Objective:

# PowerPoint 20.3 Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards Management

Remarks:

## 

-   A main initial point is that the ethical quandaries faced by
    planners, policymakers and elected officials around the issues of
    coastal hazard management and mitigation are numerous and often
    difficult.

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-   Ethics and values are often (or should be) an **important element**
    in any discussion of coastal hazards. Most, if not all **policy
    responses** to coastal hazards **have implicit value assumptions**.

    -   The **decision** even to adopt (or not to adopt) a coastal
        hazards **policy** represents a **value choice** and ethical
        position.

-   The fact that the ethical dimension of policy choices is frequently
    **not explicit** does not mean that such considerations are
    nonexistent.

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```
-   There are many specific ethical questions, issues and quandaries
    that emerge during coastal hazards management. The following is just
    an initial list of some of the more important of the questions that
    can be raised:

> **\[PowerPoint 20.3 Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards
> Management\]**

-   When the **interests of nature and the natural environment come into
    conflict with humans**, which set of interests should receive
    priority or prevail?

-   **Whose interests ought to be taken into account** in considering
    the ethics of a coastal hazards decision or policy?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **What is a fair and just process** for taking into account the
    interests of these groups and individuals in the development and
    implementation of coastal hazard mitigation programs?

-   **What is a fair or just distribution of the costs and benefits** of
    coastal hazards mitigation?

-   **What ethical principles and standards or concepts ought to guide**
    coastal hazards decisions or policy?

-   What is an **acceptable risk** along the coast and when should
    society's judgments of what is acceptable supercede or trump
    individual judgments? (raising questions of **paternalism**).

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Objective 20.3 Present and discuss a series of scenarios that
demonstrate (and challenge students to think about) the ethical
dimensions of coastal hazards management.

**Requirements**:

The content of this objective will be explored largely through class
discussion. Handout 20.1 will provide hypothetical scenarios on which to
base the discussion. The Handout can be found in Appendix A to this
session, and is available for copying and distribution to the students.

The instructor may wish to use the questions raised during Objective
20.2 to guide the class discussion. PowerPoint 20.3 *Ethical Quandaries
in Coastal Hazards Management* may be displayed again to keep the
discussion focused.

The students are encouraged to rely on their own experiences and value
systems, as well as the assigned readings, to make their point. There
are no right or wrong answers. Instead, the students should realize that
many management situations involve some degree of value judgment, and
that opposing views are possible, and indeed are likely.

Many of the issues raised during this Objective will be expanded upon
during Session 21, and there will be further opportunity to discuss the
topic of ethics and values in coastal hazards management at that time.

PowerPoint slide:

**PowerPoint 20.3** Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards Management

Remarks:

######## Case 1: Coastal Watershed Conservation-Development 

> Consider the case of an inland coastal county (non-beach or oceanfront
> community) experiencing substantial watershed degradation over a
> period of time: farmlands, forests, and wetlands have been gradually
> giving way to subdivisions and shopping centers, parking lots and
> major roads. In the past few years, flooding in the county has
> increased dramatically. Several recent hurricanes have demonstrated
> convincingly just how much degradation the natural hydrology of the
> area has endured. To check these trends, proposals to change local
> policy have been put forth that would significantly expand regulatory
> protections for the coastal watershed. The county has proposed a new
> watershed ordinance that would impose greater restrictions on
> development outside designated growth centers, including new limits on
> impervious surfaces (no more than 10% of a site); limits on the amount
> of site and vegetative disturbance (no more than 30% of a site); no
> building in the 100-year floodplain; and expansion of wetland buffer
> requirements. The proposed ordinance is controversial among landowners
> and developers in the county, but supported strongly by several local
> environmental and smart growth advocacy groups...

## **What are some of the key ethical questions to consider here?**

> **\[PowerPoint 20.3 Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards
> Management\]**

-   When the **interests of nature and the natural environment come into
    conflict with humans**, which set of interests should receive
    priority or prevail?

-   **Whose interests ought to be taken into account** in considering
    the ethics of a coastal hazards decision or policy?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **What is a fair and just process** for taking into account the
    interests of these groups and individuals in the development and
    implementation of coastal hazard mitigation programs?

-   **What is a fair or just distribution of the costs and benefits** of
    coastal hazards mitigation?

-   **What ethical principles and standards or concepts ought to guide**
    coastal hazards decisions or policy?

-   What is an **acceptable risk** along the coast and when should
    society's judgments of what is acceptable supercede or trump
    individual judgments? (raising questions of **paternalism**).

######## Case 2: Barrier Island Development

> Growth and development along our nation's coastlines is occurring at a
> rapid pace, placing more and more people and property at risk to
> coastal storms, and putting more stresses on sensitive coastal
> ecosystems. Growth along the fragile string of barrier islands,
> extending from Maine to Texas, has been particularly intense. South
> Carolina, in an effort to better control and manage this growth has
> enacted a new law called the Beachfront Management Act, which places
> new restrictions of what and where construction can take place.
> Supporters of the Act believe this is a positive move, needed to
> preserve the public beach from encroachment, and to minimize the
> destructiveness of hurricanes and coastal storms. The restrictions are
> modest, to be sure: the construction of new homes is now prohibited
> seaward of a new setback line, which extends twenty feet landward of
> the crest of the dune. Under the law, new homes or other major
> construction is not permitted within this narrow shoreline zone. Many
> coastal landowners have been unhappy with these new restrictions and
> believe they are an unfair and illegal infringement on their private
> property rights. One coastal property owner, David Sacul, was
> particularly upset upon learning that he would not be able to build
> permanent structures on the two beachfront lots he owns in the pricey
> coastal subdivision of Sea Breeze Ranch, on Balmy Isle. Sacul actually
> acquired the lots before the law was even enacted and though this
> property had been completely underwater at several points in the
> recent past, he was looking to developing the land. Together the lots
> had a fair market value of about \$1 million before the Beachfront
> Management Act came into force, and Sacul believes that the result of
> the new law has been to illegally "take" his property without fair
> compensation. Sacul decides to take action and sues the State of South
> Carolina. The case eventually makes its way to that state's supreme
> court. The court rules in favor of the Act, holding that the
> restrictions on building are intended to prevent a serious public harm
> and are a legitimate limitation on the use of Sacul's property. Sacul
> is upset and says he plans to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme
> Court.

## **What are some of the key ethical questions to consider here?**

> **\[PowerPoint 20.3 Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards
> Management\]**

-   When the **interests of nature and the natural environment come into
    conflict with humans**, which set of interests should receive
    priority or prevail?

-   **Whose interests ought to be taken into account** in considering
    the ethics of a coastal hazards decision or policy?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **What is a fair and just process** for taking into account the
    interests of these groups and individuals in the development and
    implementation of coastal hazard mitigation programs?

-   **What is a fair or just distribution of the costs and benefits** of
    coastal hazards mitigation?

-   **What ethical principles and standards or concepts ought to guide**
    coastal hazards decisions or policy?

-   What is an **acceptable risk** along the coast and when should
    society's judgments of what is acceptable supercede or trump
    individual judgments? (raising questions of **paternalism**).

######## Case 3: Evacuation Capacity Case

> Assume you are the mayor of a town located on a coastal barrier
> island. Like most barriers, the town is subject to hurricanes and
> other coastal storms on a regular basis. Over the last five years, the
> town has been evacuated four times due to hurricanes that have made
> landfall nearby. The evacuation route follows the single two-lane
> bridge connecting the island to the mainland. The town is currently
> close to build-out, with only 40 acres of developable land remaining.
> The town relies heavily on tourism for its livelihood; few other
> opportunities are available on the tiny island. During the peak summer
> months, visitors bring in just barely enough income to support the
> permanent residents through the rest of the year. A developer has
> recently proposed a project that would accommodate 4,000 people. The
> additional sales and occupancy taxes would be very welcome in the
> community, and the townspeople are eager to expand their property tax
> base with this high-end development. However, the density of the
> proposed development would exceed the capacity of the roads and the
> bridge to evacuate all the newcomers in the event of a major
> hurricane.

**What is your obligation as mayor regarding the development proposal?
What are some of the ethical considerations to be made in coming to a
decision?**

> **\[PowerPoint 20.3 Ethical Quandaries in Coastal Hazards
> Management\]**

-   When the **interests of nature and the natural environment come into
    conflict with humans**, which set of interests should receive
    priority or prevail?

-   **Whose interests ought to be taken into account** in considering
    the ethics of a coastal hazards decision or policy?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **What is a fair and just process** for taking into account the
    interests of these groups and individuals in the development and
    implementation of coastal hazard mitigation programs?

-   **What is a fair or just distribution of the costs and benefits** of
    coastal hazards mitigation?

-   **What ethical principles and standards or concepts ought to guide**
    coastal hazards decisions or policy?

-   What is an **acceptable risk** along the coast and when should
    society's judgments of what is acceptable supercede or trump
    individual judgments? (raising questions of **paternalism**).

# 

# In addition to the above questions, this scenario brings up the interesting topic of local politics. To whom is the mayor obligated? His constituency? The developers and investors? The safety of tourists? Voters in the next election? 

# Appendix A: Handout

**Handout 20.1: Ethical Case Studies for Discussion**

######## Case 1: Coastal Watershed Conservation-Development 

> Consider the case of an inland coastal county (non-beach or oceanfront
> community) experiencing substantial watershed degradation over a
> period of time: farmlands, forests, and wetlands have been gradually
> giving way to subdivisions and shopping centers, parking lots and
> major roads. In the past few years, flooding in the county has
> increased dramatically. Several recent hurricanes have demonstrated
> convincingly just how much degradation the natural hydrology of the
> area has endured. To check these trends, proposals to change local
> policy have been put forth that would significantly expand regulatory
> protections for the coastal watershed. The county has proposed a new
> watershed ordinance that would impose greater restrictions on
> development outside designated growth centers, including new limits on
> impervious surfaces (no more than 10% of a site); limits on the amount
> of site and vegetative disturbance (no more than 30% of a site); no
> building in the 100-year floodplain; and expansion of wetland buffer
> requirements. The proposed ordinance is controversial among landowners
> and developers in the county, but supported strongly by several local
> environmental and smart growth advocacy groups...

## What are some of the key ethical questions to consider here?

######## Case 2: Barrier Island Development

> Growth and development along our nation's coastlines is occurring at a
> rapid pace, placing more and more people and property at risk to
> coastal storms, and putting more stresses on sensitive coastal
> ecosystems. Growth along the fragile string of barrier islands,
> extending from Maine to Texas, has been particularly intense. South
> Carolina, in an effort to better control and manage this growth has
> enacted a new law called the Beachfront Management Act, which places
> new restrictions of what and where construction can take place.
> Supporters of the Act believe this is a positive move, needed to
> preserve the public beach from encroachment, and to minimize the
> destructiveness of hurricanes and coastal storms. The restrictions are
> modest, to be sure: the construction of new homes is now prohibited
> seaward of a new setback line, which extends twenty feet landward of
> the crest of the dune. Under the law, new homes or other major
> construction is not permitted within this narrow shoreline zone. Many
> coastal landowners have been unhappy with these new restrictions and
> believe they are an unfair and illegal infringement on their private
> property rights. One coastal property owner, David Sacul, was
> particularly upset upon learning that he would not be able to build
> permanent structures on the two beachfront lots he owns in the pricey
> coastal subdivision of Sea Breeze Ranch, on Balmy Isle. Sacul actually
> acquired the lots before the law was even enacted and though this
> property had been completely underwater at several points in the
> recent past, he was looking to developing the land. Together the lots
> had a fair market value of about \$1 million before the Beachfront
> Management Act came into force, and Sacul believes that the result of
> the new law has been to illegally "take" his property without fair
> compensation. Sacul decides to take action and sues the State of South
> Carolina. The case eventually makes its way to that state's supreme
> court. The court rules in favor of the Act, holding that the
> restrictions on building are intended to prevent a serious public harm
> and are a legitimate limitation on the use of Sacul's property. Sacul
> is upset and says he plans to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme
> Court.

## What are some of the key ethical questions to consider here?

######## Case 3: Evacuation Capacity Case

> Assume you are the mayor of a town located on a coastal barrier
> island. Like most barriers, the town is subject to hurricanes and
> other coastal storms on a regular basis. Over the last five years, the
> town has been evacuated four times due to hurricanes that have made
> landfall nearby. The evacuation route follows the single two-lane
> bridge connecting the island to the mainland. The town is currently
> close to build-out, with only 40 acres of developable land remaining.
> The town relies heavily on tourism for its livelihood; few other
> opportunities are available on the tiny island. During the peak summer
> months, visitors bring in just barely enough income to support the
> permanent residents through the rest of the year. A developer has
> recently proposed a project that would accommodate 4,000 people. The
> additional sales and occupancy taxes would be very welcome in the
> community, and the townspeople are eager to expand their property tax
> base with this high-end development. However, the density of the
> proposed development would exceed the capacity of the roads and the
> bridge to evacuate all the newcomers in the event of a major
> hurricane.

What is your obligation as mayor regarding the development proposal?
What are some of the ethical considerations to be made in coming to a
decision?

# 

**Course developer references:**

Godschalk, David R., et al. 1999. *Natural Hazard Mitigation: Recasting
Disaster Policy and Planning.* Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Beatley, Timothy et al. 2002. *An Introduction to Coastal Zone
Management*, Second Edition. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Beatley, Timothy. 1989. "Towards a Moral Philosophy of Natural Disaster
Mitigation." *International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters*
7(1): 5-32.

Beatley, Timothy. 1994. *Ethical Land Use: Principles for Policy and
Planning*. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Beatley, Timothy and Kristy Manning. 1997. *The Ecology of Place:
Planning for Environment, Economy and Community.* Washington, D.C.:
Island Press.

Rees, William E. 1995. *Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact
on the Earth*. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers.

President's Council on Sustainable Development. 1966. *Sustainable
America: A New Consensus for Prosperity, Opportunity and the Future.*
Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office.