Tools for achieving sustainable coastal economies and environments

questions this practice may help answer

• What on-line tools could support marine planning in Dorset and Belgium?
• How can information be best made accessible?

Implementation Context

The CSCOPE (Combining Sea and Coastal Planning in Europe) Project had 3 main objectives:

1.     Develop a framework for integrating terrestrial and marine planning;

2.     Tools for achieving sustainable coastal economies and environments; and

3.     Stakeholder engagement to achieving commitment to Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

The project was in part a way to test the principles for MSP as communicated in the European Commission’s “Roadmap for Maritime Spatial Planning: Achieving Common Principles in the EU” published in 2008, prior to the development of the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, and recognising that MSP would be required in coming years.

This report highlights outputs of activity area 2 of C-Scope: Tools for achieving sustainable coastal economies and environments.

Aspects / Objectives

Develop tools for supporting planning in coastal areas, including:

• Dorset Coastal Explorer Planning
• Coastal Atlas
• Indicators

Method

For Dorset, a coastal planning tool was developed linked to Dorset Explorer Planning which is a web-based tool to providing information on existing policies, ecology, current uses and land/seascape features to professional planners, developers and other key stakeholders to inform planning and decision-making in the coastal zone.

Through CSCOPE, the Coastal Atlas Flanders / Belgium was updated, expanded and upgraded to Coastal Explorer, an interactive and dynamic planning and mapping tool that will support decision-making on the Belgian coast. Explore the existing Coastal atlas on www.kustatlas.be.

To address indicators, the planning tools above relate to earlier work on defining indicators, including “Indicators of Sustainable development in the SAIL Coastal Region” and associated guidance relating to indicators in Europe.

Main Outputs / Results

The final reports and materials relating to the CSCOPE project are available on line (http://www.cscope.eu/en/results/).

Outputs in relation to tools for achieving sustainable coastal economies and environments are:

·       Dorset Coastal Explorer Planning, providing information on existing policies, ecology, current uses and land/seascape features to professional planners, developers and other key stakeholders to inform planning and decision-making in the coastal zone.

·       Coastal Atlas,  an interactive and dynamic planning tool to support decision-making on the coast. 

·       A set of indicators, to improve the understanding of coastal and marine processes and build community support for ICZM

Transferability

This aspect of CSCOPE demonstrated an approach to the development of on-line tools to support planning in specific areas; Belgium and Dorset. The material is substantially relevant to those particular areas and will be of use to developing marine planning efforts within those jurisdictions. Experience in developing the tools and evaluation of their on-going utility and success will also be relevant to other EU coastal areas.

Responsible Entity

C-SCOPE is a European collaboration between the Dorset Coast Forum (DCF) and The Coordination Centre on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Belgium

Costs / Funding Source

EU INTERREG IV A ‘Two Seas’ Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 and part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund). Direct costs of its elaboration are unknown.

Contact Person

Coordination Centre on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Belgium
E-mail: info@kustbeheer.be
Contacts: kathy.belpaeme@kustbeheer.be; Hannelore.maelfait@kustbeheer.be; Sylvia.theunynck@kustbeheer.be

Dorset Coast Forum
E-mail: dorset.coast@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Contacts: k.buchan@dorsetcc.gov.uk; b.betts@dorsetcc.gov.uk; ness.smith@dorsetcc.gov.ukv