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I+D+i
GIZC: The Balearic Islands’
initiative to move towards ICZM.
I+D+i GIZC:
The Balearic Islands’
initiative to move towards ICZM.
To meet this challenge of a
new way to manage the coastline
based on knowledge, the Government
of the Balearic Islands and
Spain’s Higher Council
of Scientific Research (CSIC)
created in February 2005 a Integrated
Coastal Area Research and Management
Unit (UGIZC) within IMEDEA.
This research unit constitutes
a joint, ambitious and realistic
initiative, related more to
real strategic sustainability
objective in a medium (2010)
and long term (2020) in the
Balearic Islands, which, linked
to short-term environmental
problems, are and should be
the object of action in each
and every area of the public
sector and public institutions
and other parties involved.
This initiative
starts from the need for and
importance of quality research
as a key element to achieve
a truly sustainable management
of the coast in the Balearic
Islands. This has been IMEDEA’s
clear belief and approach for
more than ten years, since they
have been establishing relationships
between quality research and
sustainable management and encouraging
multidisciplinary and global
research, something that has
led IMEDEA to be considered
an international reference in
this field.
So, the objective
of UGIZC is to carry out scientific
research, technological development
and encourage knowledge transfer
and innovation to achieve true
knowledge-based ICAM.
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General
coordination and leadership
of the Government of the Balearic
Islands in coastal areas.
General coordination
and leadership of the Government
of the Balearic Islands in
coastal areas. Just as we
have outlined above, ICAM
is a process in which the
active participation of the
whole of society at very different
levels is vital: public administration,
researchers, agents and sectors
involved (NGOs, business associations,
unions, professional bodies,
users, residents, etc.). All
of these, often with distinct
and legitimate needs, should
occupy key roles in the implementation
of true ICAM in the Balearic
Islands based on knowledge
and accepted by society. They
should all constitute the
elements of a system of solid
and efficient organisation
to be taken into account.
The final
success of this initiative
(UGIZC) is intrinsically linked
to the active participation
of the Balearic Ministry of
Economy, Revenue and Innovation
and the Ministry of the Environment
as core elements in the aforementioned
system of horizontal coordination,
which is also undoubtedly
one of the key element in
the implementation of truly
knowledge-based ICAM in the
Balearic Islands.
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From ICAZM towards a new Sustainability
Strategy for the Coast of the
Balearic Islands.
The ultimate
intention of the work of UGIZC
is to provide the basic scientific
elements and collaborate in
the creation, by the Government
of the Balearic Islands, of
a new Sustainability Strategy
(of the coast) in the Balearic
Islands which could be drawn
in 2008-09 (and as such would
be a natural continuation of
the first phase of the work
of UGIZC. Below are some initial
ideas and principles relating
to this initiative.
The Sustainability Strategy
for the coast of the Balearic
Islands could have the aim of
guaranteeing in the medium to
long term the quality, safety
and productivity of coastal
areas through a series of objectives
involving government, the environment,
the economy and society. The
strategy is based on the principles
of sustainable development and
should provide the global framework
in which each and every one
of the activities that may affect
or condition balance can be
included. All of this should
be done upon the basis of knowledge,
research and technological development,
and reliable and detailed information
on coastal areas and starting
from the need for an integral
and interdisciplinary approach
and the active participation
of various public and private
institutions related to the
coast in areas such as the environment,
tourism, fisheries, emergencies,
health, development, sport,
innovation, research, and so
on.
The ultimate aim is to be able
to assess the various alternatives
of uses of the coast and provide
tools to resolve conflicts from
the point of view of reliable
and objective knowledge, all
of which should guarantee from
a sustainable perspective (thus
taking into consideration the
wellbeing of future generations)
both the quality of coastal
areas and the safety of activities
taking place there, key elements
both for the resident population
and maintaining the competitiveness
of economic activity, wellbeing,
and the quality of life of the
general population.
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How do we achieve sustainability
of the coast in the Balearic
Islands?
The strategy will define lines
of action for public administrations,
productive agents and the general
population. The will be general
goals that the society of the
islands should reach in the
medium (4-5 years) and long
terms (15-20 years), together
with specific objectives, commitments
and action that we should monitor,
analyse, and if needs be, redirect.
In this manner we can guarantee
the achievement and maintenance
of an optimal level of quality
of life for present generations
without endangering the wellbeing
of future generations. It should
be remembered that these goals
approach a series of environmental
and sectoral matters, which
can be achieved through the
fulfilment of specific objectives
and action involving the environment,
economy, society, government
and research and technological
development. Amongst the potential
environmental areas we can identify
for example climate change,
biodiversity, territory and
the countryside, and amongst
sectoral matters we can initially
identify energy, transport,
tourism, development and town-planning,
agriculture and fisheries, amongst
others (following EEA principles).
In 2007 it is hoped that the
Balearic Ministry for the Environment
and IMEDEA will create joint
work groups to further knowledge
in these areas and outline specific
initial elements for the strategy:
initially, the costal observatory
(phase one of the Technology
Platform); biodiversity and
habitats; quality of water;
coastal oceanography, beaches
and deposits; SIG and databases.
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Elements of the Sustainability
Strategy for the Coast in the
Balearic Islands.
The
strategy is conditioned by four
key elements:
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1.
The clear belief in knowledge,
research and technological
development as key elements
in a new form of quality
research directed at responding
to the needs of society,
a new form of marine and
coastal systems and ecosystems
which is integral, multidisciplinary
and predictive and operational |
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2. The
definition of goals, objectives
and commitments accepted
by society and relating
to the move towards a knowledge-based
ICAM starting from the principles
of sustainability and management
based on ecosystems |
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3 The
availability of reliable
information through the
creation of a technology
platform and coastal observatory
providing data and predictive
models, and thus the knowledge
necessary on the state and
evolution of principal characteristics
of the Balearic coast, both
in terms of inland areas
and beaches, bathing areas
and coastal waters |
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4 Leadership
and coordination from the
Government of the Balearic
Islands, involving agents
relating to the coast. |
