Studies being presented here have been done as initial part of wider research-and-developemnt (R&D) programme, aiming to investigate preconditions and all instruments set necessary for environmental governance adequate integration into legally required societal (sustainable) development governance/planning framework and municipal governance practice. This have been done studying governance by its triple complementary dimensions of governance content, governance process and governance stakeholders and approaching municipality as a complex and interactive socio-ecological system. Accordingly, pilot investigations have been done as various thematical case studies in preselected model municipalities – six studies/pilot studies, based on the integrated case study research methodology, including and complementary applying document studies, interviews, surveys, observations and focus groups. Existing development planning and other instruments combined with municipal planning capacities are neither sufficient nor effective, and, since step-wise developmental process for sustainability principle integration seems to be not perspective as quite similar also with integration principle as for complex planning process and also as for thematical meaning of integrations of environmental governance into develoment one. Since environmental sector planning documents are not mandatory anymore at local municipalities, environmental sector planning process and content in the development planning practice is often limited, but few ad hoc available and used formal environmental planning instruments are neither sufficient or used just temporaly. There is to be seen necessity to develop innovative methodologies and tools as done during this research-and-development project.

Integrated coastal management (ICM) is still challenge at any governance level, but, particularly, for the small local governments and scattered coastal communities, especially, when aiming for in complementary manner of all stakeholders to design and create, establish and collaboratively manage the municipal coastal governance (MCG) system, but in practice having limited, often not linked, elements or instruments for such system as is also the case in Latvia. The EU BONUS programme, supported BaltCoast project (2015-2018) in the Baltic Sea region to provide related studies with an internationally acknowledged methodology based on socialecological system (SES) and stakeholder participation approaches-System Approach Framework (SAF), which was also adjusted for a particular local rural coastal governance process case in Latvia. Current study has been based on research-and-development (R&D) framework, conducted in the typical local coastal municipality of Salacgriva as a pilot territory applying case study research (CSR) methodology (complementary stakeholder interviews, document studies, observations etc.). The aim of the study was to explore in to the detail the rural local coastal governance shortcomings, analysing all the triple complementary governance dimensionsgovernance content, process and stakeholders' segments-and to recognize the main necessary preconditions for the local coastal governance process functioning and eventual governance system building elements. The findings of the research allow to propose also recommendations: for the local coastal governance process and system design in Latvian municipalities in general; for a range of approaches and basic preconditions to be taken into account-systems approach, complementarity and collaboration; also towards design and development of the mixed ICM application perspective for MCG. It was also recommended to develop MCG instruments, especially, coastal collaborative communication instruments-information, education, participation and coastal-friendly behaviour.

Understanding and management of the coastal resources in integrated manner, taking into account all sustainability dimensions, since approaching coastal governance as social-ecological system (SES) governance, is still a theoretical and practical challenge for those working in the field, e.g. researchers, politicians, especially for local governments and coastal communities. Integrated coastal management (ICM) is also about creation of such governance systems that allow to integrate stakeholders and diverse knowledge tools and mechanisms to enhance them. The EU BONUS BaltCoast project (2015-2018) provided an internationally acknowledged methodology-System Approach Framework (SAF), that has been adjusted in Latvia's case study for particular situation as not just one topical coastal management problem case, but as the whole rural territories coastal governance process case, being based on research-and-development (R&D) framework study at Salacgriva local rural municipality. This allowed for SES based assessment of the local coastal governance process with five key coastal governance problem clusters identification. Further on concrete proposals for collaborative and participatory coastal governance innovation development for Latvia's situation were suggested, being based on previously elaborated coastal science-policy interface model application at the local level and, particularly, creation of idea and designing of municipal monitoring system for first time in Latvia. Case study research application and coastal governance development recommendations from pilot practice are presented.

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