Project title:   Fostering integrated governance for the joint sustainable use of human and natural capital in the nearshore zone (abbr. Baltic Sea2Land)

Baltic Sea2Land will create a publicly accessible online guidance and spatial data platform – Sea2Land Navigator – which will enable the Multi-level Governance of coastal areas by supporting integrated planning, and more effective collaboration among planners, competent authorities, and stakeholders. Sea2Land Navigator will provide access to the best available knowledge and relevant spatial data sets essential for balancing interests of the sectors of sustainable blue economy, local communities, and preservation of coastal ecosystems.

Project objectives:

(1) to balance the interests of the Sustainable Blue Economy sectors (e.g. tourism, energy, fisheries), nature conservation, and local communities to support viable coastal development and the sustainable use of human and natural capital in the Baltic Sea Region and through the project solution

(2) to foster integrated governance via multi-dimensional collaborations between different management levels (from local to international), Sustainable Blue Economy sectors, local communities, and other stakeholders.

Baltic Sea2Land mostly focuses on Sustainable Blue Economy related challenges which have to be reviewed in multiple planning scales – from conflicts between locals and tourists to common transnational Maritime Spatial Planning and terrestrial planning approach. The project perceives planning as a single multi-layered system. The project will improve planner skills and approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of policies and plans in the Baltic Sea Region.  The project will be a significant step in advancing data harmonization in Baltic Sea Region and set an updated framework for Land-Sea Interactions for the whole region.

Main project output: Sea2Land Navigator

The Sea2Land Navigator offers a guiding system for planners and decision-makers on the way to the Sustainable Blue Economy in the Baltic Sea Region through viable coastal development and sustainable use of natural and human capital. It will provide a solution for addressing the complexity of governance within Land-Sea Interactions caused by the variety of development interests, decision-making levels, and requirements, as well as the lack of coherent data structures.

The Sea2Land Navigator will be organized as a publicly accessible online guidance and spatial data platform. It will incorporate three main components:

1) A tailored Multi-Level Governance approach that provides a conceptual framework for integrated sustainable coastal development and supports taking into account Land-Sea Interactions in Maritime Spatial Planning;

2) Customized spatial data infrastructure for integrated planning at all levels linked with HELCOM BASEMAPS infrastructure;

3) Knowledge Hub containing a set of templates, checklists, guidance, relevant scientific articles and publications, project-based reports and deliverables, and links to good practices.

Project activities for Klaipeda Region:

• Development of Klaipeda Region Specialization Strategy until 2030 monitoring and evaluation system framework;
• Analysis of the Comprehensive Plan of the Territory of the Republic of Lithuania solutions implementation possibilities (relevant for the Klaipeda Region). Dialogue and round table discussions together with the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania.

Project partners:

Lead partner – Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia

Project Partners:

• Saaremaa Municipality, EST
• Tallinn University, EST
• Regional Council of Southwest Finland, FI
• Baltic Environmental Forum, Germany, DE
• City of Fehmarn, DE
• HELCOM/ Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission
• Baltic Environmental Forum, Latvia, LV
• Kurzeme Planning Region, LV
• Association “Klaipeda Region”, LT
• Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, PL
• VASAB Secretariat
• The Association of Sea Cities and Municipalities (Poland), PL

Associated organisations:

• Regional Council of Lapland, FI
• Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, FI
• Regional Council of Kymenlaakso, FI
• Council of Oulu Region, FI
• Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, LT
• Ministry of the Environment of Finland, FI