Coastal governance practice at the local level in Latvia has various shortages and the reasons behind that are several, including, that the coastal municipalities have neither sufficient coastal information and understanding, nor integrative planning tradition and active stakeholder's participation experience. The aim is to study to what extent and how municipal coastal governance (MCG) has been developed and accordingly performed towards effective pro-environmental and pro-coastal policies, thus analysing the coastal governance dimensions-governance content, process and its documents, main stakeholders understanding and contribution-in Jurmala municipality as a chosen coastal pilot territory, since being especially sensitive area at the Latvian coastline. The summary results of case study research (document studies, observation and stakeholder's interviews) suggest, that the municipality still has limited focus on sustainable coastal governance-in general, underdeveloped internationally acknowledged integrated coastal management (ICM) implementation approaches and related requirement on various basic ICM capacities development. There are neither specially designed coastal planning and management system (ICM sectorial/cross-sectorial approach), nor well developed ICM integration into statutory municipal development planning process and products (ICM integration approach). Existent MCG is based on long existing traditional approach of former and formal sector-based municipal development planning with limited cross-sectorial perspectives and linking. Taking into account also climate change adaptation challenges, new understanding and new approaches, including mixed ICM approach and also, eventually, a range of innovative coastal governance instruments. The study is done in the framework of the research-and-development approach aimed also to develop recommendations for the improvement of the local coastal governance practise, e.g. testing of MCG framework and also testing to be pre-and post-planning document-Municipal Coastal Governance Outlook-as designed for MCG overview and assessment with later public discussion and stakeholder MCG agreement as well as for integrative planning as could be serving as basic missing integration instrument.

Integrated coastal governance (ICG) is becoming increasingly important nowadays, since the problems at coastal territories are continuously growing. The coastal zone, however, is a complex socio-ecological system which is extremely difficult to govern because it is very dynamic territory that is also very sensitive to various anthropogenic influences, as well as a lot of conflicts of interest occur there. Coastal area is characterized by a unique and diverse natural and cultural heritage as is the case with Jurmala municipality in Latvia. An integrated approach is important in the governance of such a complex socio-ecological system, but disciplinary/branch approaches are also necessary. The aim of the research was to study and evaluate the complex situation of the coastal governance at the local level, as well as to develop policy proposals for the chosen target territory – Jurmala municipality – and its main target groups. These studies included the analysis of the legislative acts and planning documents, interviews with all the main target groups in the municipality, observation studies, as well as the initial assessment of the coastal governance situation in the Jurmala municipality by using the model of three environmental governance dimensions: (1) coastal governance sectors; (2) coastal governance segments (stakeholders); and (3) coastal governance instruments.

Municipal coastal governance practice also in Latvia has various limitations, and taking into account growing climate change adaptation challenges, new understanding and new approaches are to be studied and tested. Overall study frame is based on research-and-development approach. The aim of the research was to study how municipal coastal governance is functioning in practice, particularly, in the relation to the coastal dune protection zones (150/300 m) and further coastal territory behind that, applying whole list of governance instrument groups – political/legal, planning, and especially institutional instruments, also financial, infrastructure and, last but not least, coastal communication instruments. This was done via research-and-governance frame of the three coastal governance dimensions – governance content, stakeholders (governance segments) and governance instruments, realized in Jurmala municipality as especially nature-culture rich and due to tourist attraction also sensitive coastal pilot territory at the Latvia coast. Case study research methodology applied (document studies, observation and stakeholder’s interviews) were approving pre-study understanding, based on previous coastal governance studies, that also this territory with international coastal resort status and well developed municipal administration capacities have limited success on integrated coastal management (ICM) approach implementation and, subsequently, there are requirements on further development of disciplinary instruments and also collaboration governance as ICM preconditions. An integrated ICM approach was internationally designed and approved also for EU coastal countries, since comprehensive requirement to manage the adequate governance of the coast as complex socio-ecological system, but old shaped long existing traditional disciplinary/branch approaches of former and formal municipal planning and management does not really permit necessary innovations with cross-sectorial and cross-level integration perspectives. However, also orientation towards re-use and/or re-development of disciplinary ICM instruments, especially, to be designed and realized as complementary as possible and collaboration governance developments shall be seen as necessary pre-conditions for ICM adequate development.