The book comprises two sections. Part one covers beach management principles and theory and addresses practical management tools and guidelines including how to determine the best management strategy for different beach types (linear, pocket, resort, urban, village, rural and remote) as well as how to include user preferences and priorities in effective management plans. The second section provides a wealth of case studies of best and worst practice authored by a cast of international beach management experts from the UK, USA, New Zealand, the Mediterranean and Latin America. The emphasis throughout the book is on optimising economic, social and environmental outcomes and reconciling competing needs in management planning for beach area.

This book is an indispensable toolkit for all professionals in beach and coastal/beach zone management including local and regional authorities, planners, park and protected area managers, societies, resort and beach owners and managers. It is also a comprehensive primer for university undergraduate students in professional planning, land, coastal zone and beach management, coastal geography as well as tourism and conservation planning and management.

Anton Micallef is a full-time lecturer at the University of Malta and has consulted and published on many aspects of the coastal environment. He is also Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Insular Coastal Dynamics, a specialised Centre of the Council of Europe's Euro-Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement.