Tools for change: Information and communications technology-enabled innovation for beach management?

A significant new direction in achieving sustainable cities and communities is using information and communications technology (ICT) as tools for change. In coastal areas, there is limited use of ICT, affecting the value ICT can bring to beach management. Beach management systems should be used for environmental and ecological protection strategies. This short paper delves into an example of ICT usage in five coastal areas of Sanya, Hainan Island, China. In doing so, the correlation between the level of ICT usage and the level of illegal coastal fishing activities is explored. Using Sanya, South China, as a case study example helps to verify the significance of the ICT presence and its impact on minimising illegal fishing activities in coastal areas. This is a crucial step when considering ICT-enabling innovation rather than just closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera usage, exploring other sensory networks and real-time data collection methods, and developing ICT-mediated platforms such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and integrated beach management systems. The findings of this study open up further debate on the effective use of ICT for environmental protection strategies for coastal areas. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.