Coordinator: Ministry for Transport, Building and Regional Development Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Contact: Susan Toben <susan.toben@vm.mv-regierung.de>

Wismar Bay on the German Baltic Sea coast is an area where one-sided and space consuming demands of tourists had led to visible negative impacts on the condition of the coast. As part of the BaltCoast project, a study was carried out in order to identify all nature conservation and tourism demands. A comparison of these demands showed that confiicts were overrated and could often be solved through spatial or seasonal differentiation. It became apparent that both tourism and nature protection were influenced by seasonal variation.

On the basis of these findings it was possible to present differentiated maps for Wismar Bay with three types of areas (zones):

a) Conflic hot-spots

b) Areas with priority for nature conservation

c) Areas with priority for economic development

In the third step coordinated solutions were sought and agreed by all stakeholders for the conflicts identified. The stakeholders included a.o. yacht owners, surfers, anglers, canoers, harbour operators, tourism agencies, NGOs  as well as municipalities, regional and local authorities dealing with nature protection, tourism and nature protection.

The zoning concept for spatial and seasonal differentiation became part of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state spatial delevopment programme (Landesentwicklungsprogramm).  They are also integrated in the „voluntary agreements for navigation regulations“ between by WWF and local user groups (SUPORTNET project) and will be used as a basis for decision-making for the municipalities and regional authorities while preparing territorial impact assessments (TIA), environmental impact assessments (EIA) and NATURA 2000 management plans.

Contact: Anna Stelmaszyk-Świerczyńska <dyrtech@umdy.gov.pl>

Subcontractor: Maritime Institute Gdańsk, Juliusz Gajewski <juliusz.gajewski@im.gda.pl> 

Among all EU countries, Poland is one of the forerunners in introducing Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) legislation. Since 2003 there is a legal possibility to create maritime spatial plans in Poland, based on article 37a of the Act on Maritime Areas of Poland and Maritime Administration.

PlanCoast Partner Maritime Office in Gdynia in cooperation with the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk prepared the first Polish maritime spatial plan Gulf of Gdańsk/ Pomorskie Voievodship. The aim was to intensify the merit-based discussion on the subject and provide methodological experience as input into the planned more specific MSP legislation.

Planning area

Gulf of Gdańsk in the Pomorskie region (Central-North Poland) was predestined to become the site of the first Polish maritime spatial plan, since it is characterised by the greatest intensity of uses and conflicts in the whole Polish sea area. The proximity of largest national commercial ports of Gdynia (cargo, passenger) and Gdańsk (cargo, LPG) results in high intensity of traffic and necessity of deepening shipping ways and potential pollution of waters. At the same time tourism (mainly water sports) is the most important function of on the Hel peninsula, beaches and shallow Gulf waters. The coastal strip in this area is densely populated and at the same time ecologically extremely vulnerable. Gulf of Gdańsk is moreover an important breeding and resting habitat for many species of commercial and protected fish, as well as birds and sea mammals (grey seal and harbour porpoise). The whole area is therefore covered by the NATURA 2000 network – Special Protection Area “Puck Bay PLB 220005” (bird protection) and partly by the Special Area of Conservation “PLH 220032” (habitat protection). Part of the planning are is also covered by the coastal Landscape Protection Park. The coastal belt surrounding Gulf of Gdańsk is shared by five municipalities: Gdynia, Puck, Władysławowo, Jastarnia and Hel. 

Eventually, it has been decided that the pilot plan will cover the west part of the Gulf of Gdańsk, up to the admistrative borders of Gdynia so to exclude waterways of Gdańsk harbour. The total planning sea area is 291.400 ha. Total area of the coastal belt affecting directly the planned water basin is 55 km2 (with coastline lenght of 117 km).

Methodology

The pilot maritime spatial plan for the Western Gulf of Gdańsk has both strategic and, in some of its functions, a local character. Although only sea part is represented by the plan, in fact in combines terrestrial and maritime planning because all terrestrial influences were taken into account. Its key objective was to work out, together with all stakeholders, solutions to existing spatial conflicts and so to improve sustainably the state of the natural ecosystem and the living conditions of the coastal population.

The current Polish regulation on MSP does not require broad public participation. In spite of this, the approach used in the Gulf of Gdańsk pilot plan has been actively participatory from the beginning. Over 50 central, regional and local authorities, economic and social stakeholder organisations and NGOs have been directly informed and asked for proposals to the plan. The information about the PlanCoast activities and the call for proposals has been also published on the web site of the Maritime Office in Gdynia. Large number of stakeholders submitted claims and comments and took part in the preliminary stakeholder meeting on 24th of October 2007. This meeting, although kept in a good working atmosphere, revealed some very divergent visions, goals and demands of each stakeholder. For instance, the regional environmental authority and the representatives of NGOs demanded consideration of NATURA 2000 management plans, with special focus on conservation measures for certain endangered species (in addition to a general ecosystem approach).

The Hel Marine Station of University of Gdańsk urged that fish conservation measures should become an integral part of the plan. Fishermen association demanded additionally the protection of fishermen as a social group. The Maritime Museum in Gdańsk wanted to extend the archaeologic conservation zone and many of the coastal municipalities aimed at the extension of its own economic activities towards the sea (marinas, untreated sewage discharge etc.). At the same time, all municipalities and the regional authority sees tourism as a main development sector of the area.

Despite these obviously contradictory demands, the participants of the stakeholder meeting were able to agree on the following guiding goals of the plan, among other safe and sustainable use of marine resources, economical management of sea space, leaving enough place for unknown uses and, if possible, regulation of zones under not only space but also time aspects.

All the preliminary claims and comments of the stakeholders were, as far as possible, taken into account while preparing the draft spatial plan. In preconditions chapter also all the existing and drafted spatial development documents and policies of the Pomorskie region and coastal municipalities were taken into account.

The plan consists of both written and graphic part. All maps were prepared in the national coordinates system ‘92′ and scale of 1:25.000. Larger scales (1:10.000 or 1:5.000) were applied for zooming into selected zones. Since the whole area could not be fitted on a single A0 size page, it has been divided into two pages of which only the upper one is shown in this abstract.

The decisions of the plan concerned the water surface, water column, sea bottom and the air above. It introduced zoning solutions for safety zones and permanent and periodical limitations of use.

 The planning area has been divided into 30 spatially-functional zones (akweny). For each of them a separate set of resolutions was prepared,  in form of ‘zones’ set cards’. Each set card contains: a map section showing the zone, code, location, name, area, lead function, complementary functions or the zone, as well as the suitable and restricted activities within this zone, including potential rules and limitations of use.

Since the state of the Gulf is directly affected by the spatial policy of the neighbouring coastal land areas, one of the chapters of the draft spatial for Gulf of Gdańsk contains recommendations for the spatial development of the municipalities. Last chapter of the draft spatial plan contains proposals of policy changes and new legislation.

Outlook

Once the draft plan was ready (February 2008) it has been distributed to the stakeholders who already took part in the preliminatory stakeholder meeting, some of which (especially the ecology experts) were directly involved in the plan drafting as consultants. At the moment the secondary claims and comments have been collected and in next step each of them will be discussed in the process of creation final version of the plan.

The importance of the stakeholders’ input could be seen especially on the example of army. Their reluctance to provide spatial data on their marine training areas was one of the biggest obstacles encountered while preparing the draft plan.

The finalised spatial plan for the Western Gulf of Gdańsk cannot become effective unless approved as a legal act by the responsible Ministry of Infrastructure. The chances to become such are very good, partially because of the close collaboration of some of the plan makers with governmental activities on the field of maritime policy.

The so far weak or at best discontinuous political will and state financing have certainly been an inhibiting factor for the development of Polish maritime spatial planning. The October 2008 proposal of the new Spatial Planning Act could be seen as a positive break-through, as it attempts to introduce further going specifications of the maritime plans’ contents and adopting procedure. Also the broad authority co-operation and early public participation are prescribed here, thus fulfilling the Polish adoption of the EC Directive 2001/42/EC on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which was until now insufficiently followed in relation to spatial plans. As a natural continuation of the participation process initiated under PlanCoast, the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk is planning a complete the SEA procedure for the draft Western Gulf of Gdańsk spatial plan. SEA will be anyway necessary if the plan is to become statutory. This venture will be co-financed by the new INTERREG IV B project BaltSeaPlan (2009-2012).

Contact: Krzysztof Wojcieszyk <k.wojcieszyk@wbpp.slupsk.pl>

Downloads: Mikoszewo pilot project presentation 11.2007.ppt (Polish language), Mikoszewo picture gallery,Stegna regional ICZM conference

Mikoszewo village is a part of Stegna municipality (Pomorskie region, North of Poland), at the base of the Vistula spit, which is where Vistula, the biggest Polish river mouths. The whole area of the municipality is covered by the NATURA 2000 Special Bird Protection Area, the so called Seagull Bank (Mewia Łacha). Apart from that, the narrow form of the peninsula is part of the coastal technical belt which undergoes state management and strict protection rules supervised by the Maritime Office in Gdynia. The unique dune landscapes border directly with the Mikoszewo bathing area.

The municipal governement is well aware of the sensitivity, but also touristic potential of this unique piece of land. Therefore they asked the Regional Spatial Planning Office in Słupsk to prepare a municipal spatial plan focused on revitalisation aspects and the touristical function.Besides the ecological sensitivity and flood risk, the biggest challenge for the Mikoszewo is the bad accessibility infrastructure and the insufficient offer of complimentary (and outside of the main season) touristic activities. Therefore, within the new integrated spatial plan the following activities are envisaged:

• The restoration of historical town setting to as much extend as possible (limitation of new structures, restoration of old buildings, small architecture and green elements should be supplemented after the historical pattern)
• Panorama lookout points
• Open air theatre for events
• Hiking trails through the spit: the ‘old trail’, ‘middle trail’ and ’sand trail’, as well as an education trail
• A new ferry boat port and yacht marina in Mikoszewo
• Re-activation of the ferry connection to Hel
• A large car parking to promote sustainable means of transport

Another sign of positive and pro-active municipal policy of Stegna is their attitude towards the illegal procedure of amber extraction. Instead of forbidding it completely (which would be anyway very hard to execute) they are restricting it in time and particular zones. One example is the organized yearly amber fair and amber-picking contest.

First step of the spatial plan preparation was the organized in November 2007 stakeholders’ meeting in Stegna. Which hosted the representatives of the local government, other admistrative branches, nature protection, fishermen, coastal guard and business sector. These discussion provided much of the input into the draft plan, which will be 2008 presented the voivodship council for approval.

The village Dębina in Pomorskie Voievodship (North of Poland) lays within the borders of the Ustka coastal municipality. Ustka itself is an established Polish sea-side resort. Ustka municipality is rapidly urbanizing, and at the same time having a unique cultural landscape with the characteristic timber-framed architecture and historic settlement structures.The surroundings of Dębina are also very valuable in natural terms: from East it borders on the Słowiński National Park and Biosphere Reserve, from West the Gardno Lake and from the South to the Słupia Valley Landscape Park. The PlanCoast project area covers the northern part of the Dębina village and the surrounding open fields. These wet meadows are completely included in the buffer zone of the Słowinski National Park and also within the Ustka spa buffer zone. The area is divided from the sea only by narrow flood-protecting dikes. Considering the rising sea level, these dikes will soon not be safe concerning. The situation is worsened by the beavers, who dig holes in the dikes making them more and more water-permeable.

Historically the area had been a swamp, set dry by melioration. The soil is thus of organic origin (turf) but based on loose sands, which makes is highly unsuitable for construction. Despite these obvious disadvantages, large parts of Dębina have been recently parceled out and sold as a construction ground. Since this mismanagement is in the liability of the former mayor of Ustka, the current mayor is aware the problem and she sought assistance of Regional Spatial Planning Office (WBPP) in Słupsk. In course of the PlanCoast pilot project a new, ‘integrated’ spatial plan for Dębina was prepared.The Dębina pilot spatial plan’s main aim was to prevent the construction of houses in this highly sensitive depression area, where human activities should be restricted to the minimum. Cattle grazing as practiced at the moment should be allowed, and is even recommended as a means of limiting unwanted vegetation (esp. Salix species). The plan considered two possible scenarios:

1. Letting the dikes collapse, allowing the temporary flooding of the area. Risk: monoculture vegetation will prevail (reed, willows) and thus minder the qualities of the National Park.
2. Rebuild and strengthen the dikes thus creating a secure framework for the maintenance of the National Park buffer zone according to its protection rules.

Since in the second scenario the high cost of dikes reconstruction would not be viable when ground would be sold for construction, the decision was made to support the first scenario - renaturisation of the swaps.

In addition to the regular statutory procedure in preparing the spatial plan, the authors decided to approach the land owners directly. During informal meetings the impacts on environment and risks connected to the construction of houses in this difficult area were discussed. Joint solutions were sought and alternative areas for construction proposed. Decisions made after this information campaign will be the sole responsibility of the investors, and they cannot sue the municipality in case of flooding. As a result, unnecessary costs and conflicts could be avoided.

Coordinator: Regional Development Center Koper,www.rrc-kp.si
Contact: Slavko Mezek <slavko.mezek@rrc-kp.si>
Download: Primorska interactive coastal database

The reason for introducing integrated maritime spatial planning (IMSP) in the Northern Adriatic is the need to coordinate the growing contradictory development trends and global as well as national policy directions.

The Slovenian coastal area is geographically very limited. The coast is only 47 km long and the territorial sea encompasses 180 km2. It is a part of the shallow Gulf of Trieste, which is maximum 50 m deep (the Slovenian part is even shallower - up to 35 m).
Due to these spatial limitations, the Slovenian coastal area and the territorial sea are considered a special national value, both for its economic importance and the natural and cultural features. The  South Primorska coastal region consists of eight municipalities; three of them are situated on the coast (subregion Slovenian Istra). According to the socio-economic indicators, it is one of the best developed regions in the country. The service sector contributes 75% to its economy. Transport, focused around the Port of Koper, tourism and trade are the most important activities. The main pressures on marine and coastal assets come from the energy sector, maritime transport, tourism, fishery and mariculture. The pressures represent a threat particularly to nature protected areas, biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Within the framework of the PlanCoast project, the Slovenian partner Regional Activity Center in Koper prepared the expert groundwork for IMSP:

• Collected new GIS data relevant to the Slovenian coast and marine areas
• Organised stakeholder meetings and collected questionaires. Fewstakeholder meetings and seminars organised, eg. in Portorož, June 07 and in Koper, January 08.
• On this basis prepared the Map of Sea-Uses in the Slovenian part of Gulf of Trieste
• Sea use database was made aviable on-line as an interactive web site http://camp.rrc-kp.si/, showing 9 different layers on cartographic backgrounds.
• Raised awareness among the local, regional, national and cross-border target groups.
• Produced recommendations for the common principles of Maritime Spatial Planning in Slovenia.

Inventory of the situation showed that today the prevailing uses in the Slovenian territorial waters are in particular the following: the entire North-Western part of the territorial waters (on the border with Italy) is intended as a routing corridor in the traffic separation scheme, which was reconciled between Croatia and Italy. The middle part is intended for a fishing area (it also partly overlaps with the routing corridor); while the surfaces next to the coast are intended for bathing waters, port activities (commercial port, public transport ports, tourist ports, etc.), mariculture, two fishing reserves, and also the areas for the preservation of nature, biodiversity and cultural heritage. Density of the established regimes for sea use along the coast shows clearly the need for the integration of planning on the shore and at sea. Therefore, it is essential to establish cooperation of the key partners on the national level (competent for the sea and the coastal strip) and the local level (competent for spatial planning).

After the prepared in course of PlanCoast Slovenian Adriatic Map of Sea-Uses, the Regional Development Center Koper is working on the even more ambitious venture - the Integrated Maritime Spatial Plan for Upper Adriatic. It is also promoting other IMSP and ICZM activities as a member of the Trilateral Commission on Protection of the Adriatic against Pollution.

Contact: Slavko Mezek <slavko.mezek@rrc-kp.si>

The second Slovenian pilot project is an attempt to transform and sustainably improve aspects of the coastal development  of the municipalities Koper, Izola and Piran.

Project results from a conclusion that it is necessary to determine the coastal zone as a special spatial quality that should to be accessible to everybody on equal terms. The unique land and sea interconnection landscape should be protected as a recognizable local identity.

The basic aim of the project was to show characteristics of this coastal zone, draw attention to contents important for (marine) spatial planning and set measures to define the width of such a coastal zone.Piran pilot project accomplished following steps:

Definition of applicable legal regimes

1. Analysis of the role of marine spatial planning and coastal zone planning in the Slovene spatial planning system;

2. Presentation of contents, which arised from individual regulations and need to be taken in account with offshore spatial planning and waterside land; 

3. Puting forward the (in)compatibility of certain defined uses of the coastal zone;

4. Examined the intended use and planned spatial arrangements in the coastal area and assessed compliance with defined vision and objectives and also the effectiveness of management.

Definition of key problems, vision, objectives, and strategy

Defined key development problems and presented the vision, objectives, and strategy of development and coastal zone management, as they were designed in implemented participative approaches (mainly within the framework of the CAMP project);

Definition of MSP tools and approaches

1. Presentation of characteristics of different types of coastal zone in Slovenia, development goals, and guidelines for an individual type;

2. Analysis to what extent are these goals and guidelines already included in existing protective regimes (nature, culture, water, forest);

3. Analysis to what extent can these goals be achieved with practical planning guidelines and which are key spatial planning tasks to achieve these goals.

On the basis of these findings the RRC Koper presented platforms and guidelines for shaping the coastal zone as special arrangement units, which unite both use and protection of the coastal sea and waterfront.

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Coordinator: DG Environment Regione Emilia Romagna

Contact person: Luisa Perini <lperini@regione.emilia-romagna.it>

Downloads: Web-based Ferrara Coast Information System (Italian language)

The Coast Information System (SIC) in Emilia-Romagna was implemented as part of the EU Cadsealand Project (2004-2006) in order to support the Integrated Coastal Zone Management programme carried out by Emilia-Romagna regional authority during the last 4 years. The database design was referred to the guidelines issued by European Commission within EUROSION programme. Currently SIC contains most important topics referable to the physical coastal system (geology, geomorphology, land use, etc) and tools for coastal risk evaluation. Within Plancoast project the GIS procedures and set of other data will be refined and aquired. In the second stage this data will be applied in the second Plancoast pilot project - Ferrara Provincial Territorial Plan (WP4 Maritime Planning).

Ferrara coastal area lies in the Po delta plain and is characterized by low topography with large areas below sea level, intense morphodinamic  evolution, but at the same time an extremely high human pressure and intensive touristic exploitation of the coast. 

Activities completed under the PlanCoast project:

• SIC update focused on the relevant topics in Integrated Coastal Zone Management. New tematic fields and analytical tools such as heritage, marine hydrodynamics, coastal aquifers or the different sea uses were created.
  
• New maps and reports to improve the knowledge and cartography, to be used in territorial planning of the coastal zone. For example: shoreline evolution models, beach and other natural characteristics, land uses.
  
• All this data is available through the open-source web-tool SIC - Ferrara Coast Information System. The resulting integrated information system allows to carry out correct analysis of data, and even identify impact and compatibility of different uses on the coast and sea. It is targeted at the relevant provincial and local authorities and spatial/regional planners.
• Then, a vulnerability assessment was carried out within with particular detail to the physical coastal system of the Ferrara Province. 

The vulnerability assessment was built up on the base of the indicators ranking. Several thematic maps, representing vulnerability classification relative to specific factors, show the most critical zones of Ferrara coast e.g:  

Lessons learned from the Ferrara coast pilot project are:

1. There is enough data to support  properly an ICZM and the future IMSP (intagrated marine spatial planning)
2. Due to commercial character of social-economic data, it is very difficult to obtain them for modelling
3. A lot of time was spent to unify the format of data compiled by different  organisations and regional  departments
4. Very important was the establishment of an accurate vulnerability analysis procedure, in order to identify the constrains and imperatives for spatial and regional planning.

Contact: Katia Raffaelli <kraffaelli@regione.emilia-romagna.it>

In addition to the Ferrara Coastal GIS database, the Emilia Romagna regional governement carried out another PlanCoast pilot study: the implementation of Emilia Romagna Regional ICZM Guidelines in Ferrara Province.

It was a cooperation of DG Environmental and DG Spatial Planning. The goal was to implement the provincial and municipal spatial plans by defining:

• plan objectives and alternatives 
• indicator and monitoring system to assess the plan’s effects

• The analysis of the state in different sectors aimed at identifying and defining specific problems and criticality relating to different thematic profiles
• The drawing up of a document (stocktake) describing the state of environmental, territorial and infrastructure resources by “sensitive/significant topics” to the territorial planning
• An integrated assessment of the different levels of criticality
• Adoption of the plan’s objectives
• Evaluation of criticality in relation to these objectives in order to identify preliminary criteria, directions and conditions related to the feasibility of the plan’s possible actions

Coordinator: Municipality of Ancona, Regione Marche

Contact: Paolo Recanatini <paolo.recanatini@comune.ancona.it>

In 1920’s the first urban plans of the Palombina district of Ancona were made. They designed an urban development after the garden town model, marked by residential structures immersed in the green  structures  and linked with the recreational and bathing facilities of the beach. Unfortunately, this model was only partially realised.

Nowadays the Palombina beach consists of infrastructure and bathing establishments linked between in a very chaotic way without any continious concept. Since the beach is wedged tightly between the harbour, motorway, railway and the city airport, it has very low environmental and recreational qualities (dirt, garbage, noise, air and water pollution).
In order to improve the overall values of the beach, the city council decided to prepare an integrated spatial plan in cooperation with the local stakeholders. In this process, new visions were sought. According to the UK expert Brian Shipman, a new, simplified ICZM language is needed in order to raise acceptance and secure the stakeholders’ involvement in the planning and implementation process. For example, the vision for Palombina could be:

• resilient – durable to natural processes and human activities
• diverse – ecologically, but also in terms of activities
• attractive – to visitors, investors and to local people
• accessible – to all
• healthy – clean & free from pollution
• safe - safe to enjoy, safe to reach

In cooperation with experts and stakeholders, project team has produced a few proposals of a new waterfront of Palombina:

1. The first idea is to reorganise the communication track (main road SS. Flaminia, Adriatic railway track and multi-level parking place) in a solid multi-level block, with a pedestrian zone - ‘parterre’ on the top. In this way not only the noisy and polluting element will be separated from the recreational area, but it would also bring a tremendous visual improvement to the waterfront.
2. Another idea is to create wooden platforms on piles, where all the services will be located, so that major part of sandy shore will be reserved for bathing and recreation.
3. In order to additionally extend the recreational stripe, the third idea for Palombina revitalization programme is artificial nourishment. The sand can be obtained from deepening the Ancona harbour by refluent dredging-off the breakwater defense. 200 cubic meters of sand are needed for each meter of beach. Cost for sand nourishment would account on € 100.000.

Palombina pilot project was intensively discussed within the Adriatic Forum ICZM expert group, where Ancona municipality is a leader. Moreover, since the Palombina area is shared by two municipalities, with a strong private activity, a large extent of public andprivate cooperation was necessary for the project success. Within several stakeholders’ meetings the third vision has been selected. Within PlanCoast a fesibility study has been conducted, which considered the environmental, social and economic impact of beach nourishment scheme. The keywords were simplicity and rationality. Besides the beach nourishment, complimentary activities planned for the Palombina area are:

• cycling path
• eliminating access barriers and/or relocation for the railway
• redevelopment of existing structures and construction of new
• creation of green areas.

The beach nourishment plan will be realised in 2009 through a private-public partnership with the Ancona Harbour, to the mutual benefit of both sides. The shipping ways to the harbour will be deepened, and at the same time the beach will be extended. Morever, the dirty harbour sand will be clarified while transported to the beach in the appropriate vessels.

Contact: Marieta Mima <mima@ecat-tirana.org>

The Narta lagoon is located south of the river Vjosa in the Vlora district / South-West Albania. It is the largest natural lagoon in Albania. The Vjosa-Narta area offers alltogether very favourable conditions for the development of tourism. At the moment main uses are still agriculture, salt production, fishing, and commercial activities. Resulting form the growing human pressure on the area, there is an increase of pollution load in wastewater discharged in the streams, rivers, and lagoons.

Lagoons are closed ecosystems, and therefore extremely vulnerable in ecological terms. At the same time they are a breeding habitat for economically relevant species of fish. Especially the agricultural residues and increasing salinisation pose to them serious threats.

Also, in the Vjosa-Narta coastal area the sediments are loose and considerably thick, therefore they are easily a subject to erosion. Geologically, the region continues to subside causing the sea to encroach upon the land. Therefore the Vjosa-Narta shoreline has often changed dramatically (a displacement of 310 m has been observed only during the last few decades).

Coastal dunes in this region are several kilometers long, 30 m wide, and 3 to 4 m high running parallel to the shoreline directly inland from the beach. Illegal practices such as grazing, construction or motorised traffic on the shore are destructing the natural defenses of vegetation of the dunes.

Despite all these diturbances, the wetland habitats of the lagoon host numerous species of endagnered plants and animals.

Unfortunately, in Albania there are no valid planning or management instruments to protect and manage these valauble areas coast in a sustainable way.

Main activities within the pilot project were:

• Review of the literature, data, and documents;
• Revision of current management practices and principles;
• Methodology was developed based on the following principles: 1) sound management of scientific data, 2) ecosystem approach, 3) participatory approach
• Creation of the GIS database for ICZM monitoring and spatial planning system;
• Inventory of current and future user demands and potentials;
• Based on this, several reports were produced to summarise the state-of-knowledge about the lagoon area;
• Model framework for local ICZM plans was defined;
• Questionaire was prepared to establish how far offshore and inland the boundaries for the areashould lie and whether there are specific studies, surveys and analysis to be carried out. The questionnaire asked to list three main problems of Narta Lagoon management and respective solutions;
• The questionnaire was completed by local stakeholders along with the group of most qualified Albanian experts in the respective fields;
• New maps and spatial plans were drafted.

In order to assess the availability and quality of data and, later, to present the project findings and draw conclusion several round tables and seminars have been organized by ECAT Tirana. Participating stakeholders were the representatives of the Vlora municipality, district council, Narta municipality, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration, Ministry of Public Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, Ministry of Tourism, inter-ministerial Council for Territorial Development, non-governmental organizations active in local development, tourism promotion, environmental and cultural heritage protection, the local business (salt production, fisheries, industry, tourism) as well as inhabitants of the coastal area.

With the kind assistance of Ministry of Transport Mecklemburg-Vorpommern (Germany), ECAT Tirana organized on 06.09.2007 a national seminar on Spatial Planning within ICZM in Albania. This very successful participatory seminar maximized the understanding of the links between spatial planning and ICZM. In addition it showed that most of the stakeholders & experts involved acknowledged the conflicts in  the area and were able to formulate them clearly.

The above mentioned public bodies were instructed on recommendations of ICZM and spatial planning, in order to assist them in the planning process of coastal and marine areas.