Spatial data infrastructures as a critical tool for ICZM in the Mediterranean basin
Mavarez, G.C.; Pintado, E.G.; Navas, F.; Lescrauwaet, A.-K. (2011). Spatial data infrastructures as a critical tool for ICZM in the Mediterranean basin, in: (2011). Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on the Mediterranean Coastal Environment, MEDCOAST 11, 25-29 October 2011, Rhodes, Greece, Volume 1 & 2. pp. 179-+
In: (2011). Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on the Mediterranean Coastal Environment, MEDCOAST 11, 25-29 October 2011, Rhodes, Greece, Volume 1 & 2. Mediterranean Coastal Foundation (MEDCOAST): Mugla. ISBN 978-605-88990-6-3. 996 pp.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is a complex process that involves various methodologies and stages to achieve results based on sharing knowledge and expertise between scientists, authorities and stakeholders. Recently, European Directives and Recommendations have supported the necessity and adequacy of taking a multidisciplinary approach to achieve "integration". In particular the role of the data (spatial data and databases) in the process of coastal zone management has emerged as one of the most important issues for the establishment and enforcement of integrated approaches to institutional and policy response. The importance of the INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive, which provides an adequate framework for responding to and utilizing the potential exchange of environmental datasets that is collected and created by public agencies throughout the European Union, together with many environmental Directives, facilitates the assembly of large marine datasets collected by public institutions and enhances the re-use of data. This policy framework has underlined the necessity for incorporating new approaches in spatial data analysis, integrated and shared through common Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) for ICZM; The "Protocol on ICZM in the Mediterranean" (UNEP, 2008), needs of common approaches drawn through a set of indicators to measure the applicability of the Protocol and management processes. According to this purpose, the Pegaso project is creating an SDI for the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins, including the most important efforts made by the public institutions and agencies in creating spatial datasets. This provides the framework to create and develop indicators and other tools to achieve ICZM for these two basins. The main objective is to construct a set of geonodes in each partner institution which facilitate partners to display and share their data and experience in ICZM to the rest of the community through the Pegaso SDI, and therefore enhance spatial data availability in the decision making process for coastal management and implementation. The diversity of needs in coastal and marine spatial data to implement ICZM strategies due both to the variety of coastal issues and the diversity of coastal regions, the harmonisation of datasets and the necessity for training within the Pegaso Consortium to assure a well developed SDI are some of the challenges faced on this work. Results thus far indicates that: (i) the capacity for data production and management is varied, (ii) geonode implementation will improve capacity of institutions to respond to ICZM challenges and (iii) a new paradigm in interoperability for spatial data will transform coastal governance through SDI's interactive viewer as stakeholders and policy makers and managers interact on new further informed capacities.
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