Revising the Compatibility of Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Processes in the Coastal Zone of the Sonora State, Mexico

When designing spatial planning programs for processes in coastal zones, it is essential to consider the connections between marine and terrestrial environments and to coordinate institutional work in their implementation. This study examines the environmental policies of two planning processes in the coastal zone, one terrestrial and one marine, which were formally developed and adopted through decrees in the State of Sonora (NW Mexico). The Gulf of California Marine Spatial Planning (MSP-GC) was decreed in 2006, and the Sonora Coast Land Spatial Planning (LSP-SC) was decreed in 2009 and updated in 2015. This study reviewed, compared, and spatially analyzed the environmental policies established by both planning processes. The results show that both planning processes contain environmental policies with limited links between the marine and terrestrial environments in practice. Both planning processes were enacted with effort, resources, and stakeholder participation, but have not been implemented effectively. It is essential to review the mandates of the decrees, conduct an integrated assessment of environmental policies, and seek ways for federal and State institutional structures to drive the implementation of these planning processes. Considering the dates of the MSP (2006) and LSP-SC (2015) decrees, now it is the right time to evaluate them.