Sustainable Management and Planning of the North Sea Region

The sea is a scene of a wide range of activities. From nature´s own use to human activities like oil exploration, offshore wind farms, shipping, fishery, aquaculture, and recreation. In the recently launched Blue Growth initiative, the European Commission identifies a potential for further job-creation and innovative technology development in the sea area, like new offshore renewable energy technologies, sustainable aquaculture, maritime coastal and cruise tourism, marine mineral resources, and biotechnology utilising marine organisms. Human activities are not always compatible with the need of nature, and may lead to several threats like eutrophication, habitat damage, and proliferation of invasive species. This balance between use and protection is delicate and calls for integrated planning and management.

Maritime spatial planning works through the allocation of three-dimensional space, utilising the ecosystem-based approach and integrating all available relevant knowledge in order to establish the basis for decision-making from the local to North Sea region scale. Maritime spatial planning is not a one-time plan, but rather a continuing and iterative process and typically, it adapts over time. The complexity of scalability makes maritime spatial planning more of a planning system with delegation of power to different planning authorities. In order to address both the temporal dimension and the stakeholder-complexity, maritime spatial planning needs to focus on collaboration structures, spatial information systems, objectives and targets for the relevant sectors, uses and values, and national framework or policy statements to support sectorial integration and allocation.

The objective of the current project is to

• Develop integrated and innovative solutions on maritime spatial planning through transnational and holistic governance structures and applying advanced information technology

The expected outcome of the BALSAMICO project will be

Aalborg University

Universities and public authorities around the North Sea