Indicator 18 Degree of social cohesion Data cannot be compared directly between countries as they represent different definitions of social exclusion. The values on the map are relative to national averages. Data are aggregated for coastal and non-coastal municipalities. Essex Zeeland Kent West-Vlaanderen West-Vlaanderen - percentage of the population with minimum allowance Greater London 1 0,9 0,8 0,7 0,6 0,5 Nord - Pas de Calais 0,4 Degree of social exclusion ± 0 Less Deprived District level 25 Sources: BE: APS 2002 FR: CA/CG59/CG62 2004 NL: CBS 2001 UK: ODPM 2004 50 Km 0,3 SAIL-regions 0,2 0,1 0 1996 More Deprived UK-Index of Multiple Deprivation Average Score (IMD 2004) Nord-Pas de Calais-percentage of the population with minimum allowance (2004) 4 7 28 3,5 6 24 3 5 20 2,5 UKL coastal 2000 non-coastal 3 8 coastal 4 non-coastal 0 Thames Greater London 1 Nord-Pas de Calais 2 France Métropolitaine 1 0,5 0 2004 2001 2002 Flanders Zeeland - percentage of households with long-term low income 4 non-coastal 1,5 Kent 1999 coastal 2 12 Essex 1998 coastal 32 16 1997 non-coastal Zeeland National 0 1999 2000 2001 • Unemployment Degree of Social Cohesion • Indices of social exclusion per area − Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2004 in the UK − Percentage of the population beneficiary of the minimum An assessment may indicate whether the observed differences between coastal and non-coastal areas are significant enough to warrant separate policies for the coast and the better targeting of vulnerable groups. allowance RMI (Revenu Minimum d’Insertion) in France − Percentage of the population receiving the minimum allowance or leefloon in Belgium and percentage of households on longterm (minimum 4 years) low income in The Netherlands • • Key Message In all Southern North Sea regions except Zeeland, social exclusion is higher at the coast. For Zeeland and West-Vlaanderen, social exclusion shows a decreasing trend over time in both coastal and noncoastal municipalities. In all SAIL sub-regions unemployment is higher in coastal zones except for Zeeland. At SAIL level the coastal areas showed an average unemployment rate of 11% compared to 5% for the non-coastal areas in 2001. Where do the data come from? Data on unemployment rates at the local level are obtained from the national Census data providers. National definitions of unemployment are the same, hence comparisons can be made between countries in the Southern North Sea. Social exclusion data were obtained from different sources, and are often collected through one-off surveys. Since definitions and methodologies differ, the data is not comparable between SAIL sub-regions. What does the indicator show? Social exclusion Indices for social exclusion differ from region to region and are therefore difficult to compare. The values from the map are relative to each country’s national or regional average of social exclusion. They demonstrate that social exclusion is higher at the coast compared to the hinterland for all regions except Zeeland. Why monitor the degree of social cohesion? One of the goals of the EU ICZM Recommendation is to reduce levels of social exclusion and promote social cohesion in coastal communities. ‘Deprivation’, or ‘social exclusion’, is a measure of inequality. It is generally a function of low household income but the underlying causes may vary from place to place. Low income could be the result of high unemployment which in turn could be a function of the lack of jobs locally or the unsuitability of the labour force to take whatever jobs are available. Low wages, as a reflection of the structure of a specific economic activity, may also be the cause of depressed household income. Other factors which may affect the degree of social exclusion are the number of elderly residents, the ratio of dependents to wage earners, indices of ill health, environmental deprivation including housing conditions, and so on. ©VLIZ Degree of Social Cohesion Unemployment in the SAIL region (%) SAIL region % Essex 12 Zeeland 10 8 Kent coastal 6 West-Vlaanderen Greater London non-coastal 4 2 0 2001 % 5 Nord - Pas de Calais Unemployment rate (%) 0,0 - 3,2 ± 0 3,2 - 4,7 4,7 - 6,5 6,5 - 9,3 9,3 - 12,9 25 12,9 - 17,6 17,6 - 27,3 50 Km % West-Vlaanderen % 12 10 4 SAIL-regions District level Sources: BE: APS 2002 FR: INSEE 1999 NL: CBS 2002 UK: ONS 2001 3 2 1 Classification Natural Breaks 7 Classes 0 Essex Kent Geater London 1990 1999 % Nord-Pas de Calais Zeeland 7 24 6 20 5 8 UK 2001 6 16 4 6 12 3 4 2 8 2 1 4 0 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1982 Degree of Social Cohesion For the UK, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (2004) takes into account different criteria of social deprivation including income, employment, health deprivation, education and the living environment. Higher levels of social exclusion are observed in the coastal zone and the Thames area in comparison to non-coastal areas of Kent, Essex and Greater London (2004). The Thames area shows the highest levels of social exclusion with an average score of 30.2 (25.1 in Greater London) while the hinterland of Kent shows the lowest average (15.9 versus 22.6 at the coast). In West-Vlaanderen the percentage of the population that benefited from minimum allowance in 2002 was at least twice as high at the coast compared to the hinterland. However the overall rates have decreased slightly since 1998 in both areas. The region of Nord-Pas de Calais has one of the highest rates of social exclusion at the national level. This is even more pronounced at the coast where 3.5% of the population receives the minimum allowance ensured by government (RMI), compared to 1.9% in the hinterland. Especially in coastal urban areas such as Calais (4.8%) and Dunkerque (6.2%) the rates in 2004 are relatively high, although they have decreased since 1997 (from 9% and 10% respectively). Unemployment rates The coastal areas of Kent, Essex, West-Vlaanderen and Nord-Pas de Calais record higher unemployment rates for all sampled years with values as high as 20.9% in the coastal area of Nord-Pas de Calais (1999). In addition, unemployment rates in Nord-Pas de Calais have increased steadily over the years, with coastal unemployment increasing at a faster pace. In 1999 this disparity reached a maximum of 6.6%. Zeeland is the only region within SAIL where unemployment rates are higher in non-coastal municipalities (4.8% versus 3.7% in 2001), although it has the lowest overall unemployment in the Southern North Sea. Zeeland and West-Vlaanderen show a general decline in unemployment rates while the disparity between coastal and non-coastal areas is apparently decreasing. Largely influenced by the relative high unemployment rates of Nord-Pas de Calais and WestVlaanderen, at SAIL level, the coastal areas show an average unemployment rate of 11% compared to 5% for the hinterland in 2001. What are the implications for planning and managing the coast? The importance of economic and social coherence within the European Union is recognised by the European Commission, and clearly stated in the goals of the EU ICZM Recommendation. The EC objective-2 programme (€727million in 2000-2006) that targets areas such as coastal zones in economic decline or in need of regeneration, is intended to revitalise tourism, economy and the social and ecological aspects with an emphasis on sustainability. Since coastal regions are often targeted for holiday and retirement and investment purposes, different mechanisms take place in the housing policies and real estate market. These drivers have an impact on affordable housing and living conditions for the local population. Also in some cases, the concentration of second homes and the high proportion of elderly at the coast have an impact on social exclusion. Many of the coastal zone economies have entered a depression compared to more thriving larger urban areas in the hinterland. It is important to measure, according to the best available national definitions of social exclusion, whether higher rates of deprivation are present in coastal zones and whether these are being addressed efficiently in order to build more cohesive and sustainable communities. How reliable is the indicator? For the data on social exclusion, Census data (total population, number of households) is combined with data from surveys that can be provided by social security departments or commissioned to Social Research Centres. Since different countries apply different definitions, the measurement may be more or less representative to monitor a complex issue such as social exclusion, and may be more or less sensitive to changes that take place as a response to sustainable development strategies. The data for unemployment rates at the local level is available from the Census data providers and hence considered relevant and reliable data sources.