The Land-Sea Interaction and MSP Planning Tool
The incorporation of Land-Sea Interactions (LSI) into the marine spatial planning processes is critical to both the environmental protection of coastal areas as well as the effective development of maritime and coastal economies.
Our excel-based tool for supporting LSI analysis has been created based on the methodological guidelines for LSI analysis within MSP, developed by PAP/RAC within the SUPREME and SIMWESTMED projects. They build upon literature and previous experiences (e.g. ESaTDOR-ESPON program 2013, CAMP Italy project 2017).
The guidelines were tested on Mediterranean pilot cases, firstly under the SUPREME and SIMWESTMED projects, and then as part of the MSP processes in Montenegro (GEF Adriatic project), Malta (MSP national Maltese process) and in Italy (MSP national Italian process).
They foresee the compilation and cataloguing of interactions, populated with semi-quantitative and quantitative information (also externally associated). GIS as a mapping tool can be used to support, especially when the analysis is at an advanced level.
The guidelines consists of a three step process:
- A. Initial and more general stocktaking phase – this is a preliminary analysis phase, aimed at identifying the most relevant elements for LSI and taking into consideration all known land-sea interactions in the area;
- B. In-depth analysis about those interactions most relevant to MSP key issues;
- C. Informing the planning process about key outcomes from LSI analysis.
This tiered approach facilitates applying the methodological guidelines to scenarios where:
- a) The planning process is in a preliminary phase (and knowledge and information are still to be collected), or
- b) Where the planning process is more advanced.
In the case of scenario (b), the guidelines could be applied directly from PART B to re-organise available knowledge, data and materials according to the needs of the in-depth analysis. The tiered approach provides flexibility, useful for both organising available knowledge on LSI or gathering new information in a structured framework and avoiding the duplication of effort.
How to Use the Tool
Download the LSI Analysis in MSP – User Manual, and use the step by step diagram to guide your LSI analysis within the MSP process.
