COASTMAN: Coastal Zone Management in the Baltic Sea Region

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF COASTMAN project:

Central objectives in this project are:

• to demonstrate the conditions under which spatial conflict resolution in coastal zone management can be handled in a bottom-up perspective starting from concrete case studies covering the problem dimensions and different cultures around the Baltic Sea
• to identify legal, organizational, economic, methodological and cultural frameworks for CZM in participating countries
• to find out how differences in these frameworks influence strategies for conflict resolution on local and regional levels in CZM and what adaptations of methods are necessary for each participating country
• to promote sustainable development of coastal areas through an information exchange platform, information events and specialist workshops. Exchange experience and best practices in conflict resolution in CZM with related Interreg projects
  

Development of joint educational program for coastal zone management in the BSR with focus on conflict resolution in spatial planning. Create awareness among the stakeholders in all BSR countries that problems to be solved contains a mixture of facts and values and that solutions very much have to be found in a participatory processes where all stakeholders are involved.

THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT COASTMAN project:

The project “Coastal Zone Management in the Baltic Sea region“ – “Coastman“ – investigates interactions between environment conservation, conflict management and sustainable development in coastal zones of the Baltic Sea. Such interactions between all active interests have been neglected in the past.

The project partners Sweden, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Russia will analyse environmental problems and assess the risks of the Baltic Sea coast with reference to expoitation of coastal zones. They will suggest measures to improve the situation. They want to establish a better coastal zone management via exchange in seminars, educational programmes, inspections and in dialogue with regional decision-makers.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

The results of the project are based on the work with case studies around the BSR. The case studies are oil terminals and a waste water treatment plant.

The main results from the project are:

• to described legal, organizational, economical, methodological and cultural frameworks for CZM in participating countries.
• to establish a set of recommended methods and guidelines for conflict resolution in coastal zone management, methods which have been tested on practical cases in the BSR
• to establish recommendations for conflict resolution in practical cases based on a participatory processes
• to share vision among participants on differences in the frameworks and how these differences influence strategies for conflict resolution in CZM
• to developed recommendations what adaptations of methods are necessary for each participating country because of cultural and economic differences
• published report with description of practical cases, evaluation of selected methods and recommendations how to use methods to resolve conflicts in coastal zone management
• to improved practical skills among involved stakeholders in methods for conflicts resolution
• web based course with on-line material focused on conflict resolution in coastal zone management. Staff of involved project partners trained during a pilot course.
  

Stakeholders involved in the project case studies are trained in practical methods for conflict resolution during training sessions. Developed information exchange platform on the web, published handbook on conflict resolution, shared experience and best practice in CZM with related INTERREG- projects