Coastal Information Systems supporting ICZM

1. Coastal Information Systems supporting ICZM Preliminary Results of the EC DG ENV project “Options for coastal information systems” E. Ramieri (Thetis)

2. Project structure

3. Analysis of CIS illustrative cases – Methodological approach • Focus on operational system • Description of a number of “good” CIS illustrative examples (of different levels and regions) in order to depict their main characteristics, in particular in relation to their use within the ICZM process (not overall census) • Coastal information system (CIS) refer to a wide variety of system typologies • Overview analysis based on available information: • EU funded and co-funded projects related to ICZM and/or coastal information systems • Main research projects co-financed by EU related to ICZM • Other projects directly commissioned by the EC • Relevant non-EU initiatives • Scientific literature • Other Internet sources

4. CIS analysis – preliminary results Composition of the 40 cases set • Addressed European Sea Basins: Baltic Sea (8 cases; 20%), North Sea (11 cases, 28%), Norwegian Sea (1 case, 3%), Celtic Sea (7 cases, 18%), Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Iberian Coast (6 cases, 15%), Mediterranean Sea (13 cases, 33%), Black Sea (3 cases, 8%) • The great majority of analysed illustrative cases are multi-sector (87.5%) thus attempting to deal with the holistic and integrated nature of the ICZM perspective • CIS typologies

5. CIS analysis – preliminary results (I) Operational context and information content • For the great majority of considered illustrative cases (28 – 70%) the CIS geographical area of interest is mainly defined by administrative boundaries (in particular for the national and sub-national levels). For the 30% of the cases (in particular local level ones) the area of interest has been mainly defined according to an ecosystem-based approach • All CISs include data related to the territory and the great majority properly deals with the environmental information (90%). The other information dimensions are properly considered only by some CISs, in particular: 63% case for the economy dimension, 45% for the society dimension, and 40% for the governance one. • Integrated information (e.g. integrated maps and indicators) resulting form the joint analysis of different data typologies related to various ICZM sectors and dimensions is properly provided by the 32.5% of analysed case

6. CIS analysis – preliminary results (II) ICZM functionalities • About the 55% of the analysed CIS provides the following specific functionalities: availability of geo-spatial data, operation at different spatial scale, multi-time data and information • More advance knowledge related functionalities are much less addressed by CISs: ICZM indicators and indexes (20%), climate change related functionalities (12.5%), ICZM best-practices database (7.5%), others (12.5%) • More than the 50% of cases resulted in providing direct supports (in terms of functionalities) to problem understanding and structuring (60%) and identification and assessment of planning and management alternatives (52.5%); • Other functions are much less diffuse: stakeholder involvement and participation (35%), vision building and scenario development (18%), monitoring and evaluation (15%), adaptive planning and management (2.5%); • Some CISs (23%) provide other ICZM process related functionalities, such as support to international cooperation approached by 5 cases.

7. CIS analysis – preliminary results (III) Use of the system • About 52.5% provides direct access to and download of geo-spatial data. The analysis showed that 33% of analysed CISs (included in the above 52.5%) enables users to access and directly visualise geo-spatial data through WMS. • Metadata are on-line provided by the 68% of analysed CISs (48% of cases clearly appears to meet INSPIRE DIRECTIVE related metadata protocols – ISO 19115/ISO19139) while 4 cases related to on-line CISs currently do not include proper metadata description. 23% is related to off-line system that may include metadata, that however are not on-line visible • Tools enabling an appropriate e-participation in ICZM (i.e. e-forum, geo-tagging, video sharing, etc.) are still not much diffused (20%). Some CISs (22.5%) provides tools enabling partial e-participation and interactiveness (e.g. feedback tools, data exchange platform, etc.)

8. Policy requirements identification (I) Policy requirement is intended as a requisite that can be concretely implemented in a coastal information system in order to improve the use of the same CIS in supporting the diffusion and implementation of the ICZM process at various scale Preliminary policy requirements have been indentified on the basis of • Results of Task 1 activities • Analysis of the thematic literature • Results of the stakeholder consultation (workshop) Policy requirements are related to four categories: scope, contents, functions and mechanisms of CIS

9. Policy requirements identification (II) Scope • Include end-user in the system design • Address different user expectations and needs • Adopt an ecosystem-based approach in the definition of the CIS’ context and geo-graphic area of application • Continue and strengthen the effort in matching the INSPIRE Directive (Baseline options) Contents • Improve economic and in particular social and governance information within CISs • Improve availability of information resulting from the integrated analysis of data related to different topics • Improve availability of multi-time data • Develop and implement a common ontology for coastal and marine information

10. Policy requirements identification (III) Functions • Improve functionalities directly supporting ICZM decision making in a short and long term perspective • Improve diffusion and innovation of e-participation tools • Integrate 3D data and develop 3D tools • Ensure data and metadata availability (Baseline option) • Improve availability of geospatial data and CIS functions related to climate change Mechanism • Establish strict link and cooperation between the structure responsible for the CIS management and operation and the structure responsible for the implementation of the ICZM process • Improve the use of protocols facilitating geo-spatial data sharing • Develop on-line tools to measure the real use of CIS • Participate to CIS and/or ICZM networks

11. Work in progress Policy options definition; i.e. integrated set of relevant policy requirements Impact assessment of policy options including direct and indirect impacts Final Reporting Progress results available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/iczm/ia_studies.htm