On 24-27 September, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) holds its Annual Science Conference (ASC) in Hamburg. Andrea Morf, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio and co-chair of the Working Group on Marine Planning and Coastal Management (WGMPCZM) leads an interactive conference session, which focuses on assessing and analysing marine and coastal spatial planning and management, together with colleagues from the Marine Spatial Planning research network.
The session C “Assessing and analysing marine spatial planning – knowledge – indicators – visions“ aims to open up perspectives on marine spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal management. Participants discuss how coastal and marine planning are conceived (visions), what knowledge is drawn on (inclusiveness), and how progress and success in planning could be measured and assessed (indicators and evaluation). Key focus is on natural and social sciences indicators and on existing approaches and achievements as well as remaining gaps. The session also invites reflections on marine planning at a meta-level, considering its nature and where and how it needs to be broadened for a more sustainable governance of the seas.
Presently, there are numerous on-going and recently concluded MSP projects and initiatives in the Baltic Sea and beyond, where interesting results and lessons learned can be shared across marine basins. Notably, Nordregio has participated in Baltic MSP development through the project Baltic Scope and is currently participating in its follow-up Pan Baltic SCOPE. Pan Baltic SCOPE work by Nordregio in the Land-Sea Interaction Work Package is present through an oral presentation of Sarah Mahadeo, Helena Calado and Andrea Morf on a framework to analyse Land Sea Interactions in MSP. Sarah is a former MSP ERASMUS+ Intern at Nordregio and has recently successfully defended her Master Thesis with a refined version of the framework. Also BONUS BASMATI researchers are present discussing their own and others’ findings so far.
The session is a joint arrangement by the ICES Working Group for Marine Planning and Coastal Zone Management, a group of researchers and practitioners within the scientific branch of ICES with the aim to understand and develop marine and coastal planning practice further, and the MSP Research Network, a network of researchers and practitioners open to anyone interested in developing marine and coastal planning research further, without geographical or thematic limit (welcome to sign up and participate in activities: https://www.msprn.net/home).
