The issue

Coastal areas have always offered location advantages for human activities. They are one of the strengths of the BSR. But this strength is frequently associated with environmental, cultural, economic and social problems threatening the sustainability of development.

In contrast to the green networks discussed under theme no. 5, in coastal zones the interplay between nature protected areas and cultural landscapes is not the dominating feature. More important is the coordination of ecological objectives with intensive human activities and uses, including major (coastal) cities.

Another specific feature is the strong linkage to the hinterland. Many coastal environmental problems are caused by river pollution stemming from agglomerations far away.

Different types of coastal zones exist in the BSR:

                     Prospering coastal zones, mainly in major metropolitan areas, are mixed with coastal zones with economies lagging behind, due to losses in traditional functions (shipbuilding, fishery, naval forces). Many coastal zones still suffer from restricted economic development dur-ing the Soviet period due to limited access.

Regions with economic stagnation or decline seek to develop new activities (including tourism and other services). In this endeavour they sometimes feel improperly restricted by nature protection demands. Mechanisms to balance such different demands are poor.

                     Coastal rural areas were pressure of uncontrolled urban growth is observed (Riga Gulf, Kaliningrad oblast)

                     Areas with tourism concentration (particularly in Schleswig-Hol­stein and Mecklenburg-Vorpom­mern, Germany, some of the islands such as Rügen, Åland, Bornholm) coexist with coastal zones where such potential is hardly developed (islands such as Saaremaa, Hiuuma; coastal zones of Kaliningrad and in most parts of Baltic States).

                     Areas with high unemployment (e.g. Mecklenburg-Vorpom­mern and Polish coastal regions except Gdansk region) face other coastal regions with low unemployment (mainly in Nordic countries).

                     There are regions with a high concentration of protected nature areas (Mecklenburg-Vorpom­mern, Kuronian Spit Kaliningrad/ Lithuania, Hel peninsula/ Poland, archipelagos in Finland, Wadden Sea in Germany/ Denmark), while other coastal strips have only a low concentration of such areas (Swedish and Norwegian coast, major parts of Polish and Latvian coast) resp. have a concentration of only small designated areas (Schles­wig-Holstein, Estonian coast).

These different areas imply different demands for comprehensive development. In some coastal zones they stem from high pressure from urban and tourism development, including summer cottages. In others they are on the contrary the result of a desire to make development more dynamic while supporting nature protection.

Projects for integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) originated from the needs for nature and ecological protection. Though they have seen the necessity to include social and economical aspects, nature protection is the prevailing issue.

                     The EU has implemented a demonstration programme for ICZM, including areas of different intensity of human activities.

Among the 33 demonstration projects some are in the BSR (Storström/ Denmark, Lithuanian coast, Baltic Sea coast of in Latvia, Helsinki Metropolitan Region).

One of the recommendations was “to inject a greater spatial dimension into Community policies”.

                     HELCOM has initiated since 1993 integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans for Coastal Lagoons and Wetlands. WWF acted as secretariat.

3 national projects in the Gulf of Riga and in Estonia:

Kaina Bay, Estonia (island of Hiiumaa);
Matsalu catchment area (, western coast of Estonia) ;
Engure-Kemeri catchment area, Latvia (southern part of Gulf of Riga);

3 transnational projects:

Kursiu Lagoon/ Kurshskij zaliv, Lithuania/ Kaliningrad;
Vistula Lagoon, Kaliningrad/ Poland;
Odra/ Oder Lagoon, Poland/ Germany.

HELCOM has also made a proposal for a system of coastal and marine Baltic Sea Protected Areas (BSPA) adopted in 1994. A total of 62 were recommended in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Åland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. The motivation for proposing BSPA is that the establishment of protected marine and coastal areas is lagging behind similar efforts in the terrestrial environment.

These plans are, in accordance with the chosen project areas, dominated by nature protection considerations. Economic or other human activities are discussed under this limitation.

Similarly to ICZM, river basin management is a an issue where spatial planning should play an important role. This issue overlaps with ICZM, but has a widened geographical perspective.

The proposed concept

The proposed concept for integrated coastal zone development considers four demands:

                     Integrate the needs for development with those for protection.

                     Include all types of coastal areas, e.g. areas of intensive tourism, urban expansion areas, infrastructure development areas etc.

                     Equally include off-shore and land-side coastal areas. Growing spatial conflicts in coastal waters like the one between off-shore wind-mill parks and undisturbed sea traffic show a need to apply instruments of spatial planning.

                     Link the project oriented approach with the process of statutory spatial planning in widening the participation to all public and private actors that can contribute.

There is a need to develop international standards to evaluate the benefits created by ICZM.

The concept proposed by VASAB can serve to implement HELCOM recommendations on:

                     sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism in coastal areas of the BSR (21/3)

                     offshore protection areas (15/5)

HELCOM therefore supports the aim to integrate ICZM into existing spatial planning procedures.

The VASAB concept contributes to one of the three priority Spatial Planning Actions within the Baltic 21 Action Programme (SP2 Action).

Examples for regions where demonstration projects may be promoted

The following list is indicative and not exhaustive.

                     Major islands (some of which cooperating in the B7 islands group: Bornholm, Gotland, Hiiumaa, Saaremaa, Åland, Rügen, Öland);

                     Archipelagos in coastal zones of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Estonia;

                     Dune and beach areas on the islands mentioned above, but also on large coast sections of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Poland, Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and St. Petersburg region.

                     Coastal urban regions with dynamic growth (Norway: Oslo/ Bergen/ Stavanger; Sweden: Göteborg, Malmö, Stockholm; Denmark: Copenhagen; Finland: Turku/ Helsinki; Estonia: Tallinn; Latvia: Riga; Poland: Gdansk)

                     Coastal urban regions with a need to speed up development (Germany: Rostock, Stralsund, Greifswald; Poland: Szczecin/ Swinoujscie; Russia: Kaliningrad; Lithuania: Klaipeda; Latvia: Liepaja; Estonia: Pärnu, Narva; Russia: Vyborg, St.Petersburg).

                     Bodden zones in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where economic (tourism, urban economies) development needs to be promoted in harmony with nature protection, particularly with EU habitat directives

                     Wetlands with lagoons, spits and estuaries: Odra lagoon, Hel peninsula, Vistula lagoon, Kuronian Spit, Nemunas delta

                     Usedom – Swinoujscie – Szczecin area

                     Gdansk – Kaliningrad – Klaipeda area

                     St. Petersburg – Leningrad oblast coastal area.

Potential co-operation projects

Proposals must be prepared for regulatory changes to

                     enable the integration of land-side with sea-side coastal zones planning;

                     effectively link coastal zone management with statutory spatial planning;

They will be an extension of "Common Recommendations for spatial planning of the Coastal Zone in the Baltic Sea Region" prepared by VASAB and adopted at the Ministerial Conference in Stockholm, Oct. 1996.

These proposals shall be incorporated into national and regional spatial planning procedures.

It is recommended to launch demonstration projects which go beyond the scope of previous ICZM projects. They shall be initiated and carried out by local and regional actors.

An umbrella would be useful to maximise the learning effect of these demonstration projects.

Close co-operation with Baltic21 and with HELCOM will be essential. VASAB has been assigned a leading role for ICZM within Baltic21. Other bodies to be involved include CBSS, BSSSC, CPMR.