Baltic MSP Forum: transforming borders into solutions. Watch it online
The 2nd Baltic Maritime Spatial Planning Forum – the biggest regional event of the institutions responsible for maritime spatial planning (MSP) gathering more than 250 participants from 32 countries is taking place on 23-24 November 2016 in Riga, Latvia.
This Forum with its 16 interactive workshops provides a platform for discussions among those involved and affected by maritime spatial planning on how to develop and enhance MSP in the Baltic Sea basin.
The plenary and the workshops of the first day on 23 November will be streaming online on the Baltic SCOPE website www.balticscope.eu starting at 9:30.
MSP implementation in the Baltic Sea is diverse. One sea – nine countries – different planning cultures, sea use situations, national interests, and institutional arrangements. Thus, this year the Forum is all about cooperation across the borders. Planning at national level alone cannot fully capture and address the impacts of economic activities at sea.
What are the research needs for planning in 21st century? How MSP affects the interest of national defence? Integration in Baltic Sea MSP: What role does it really play? Those are just few questions set to be answered during the Forum.
How to apply ecosystem approach and link MSP with marine protected areas are other important issues raised to enhance sustainability at sea. Also, colleagues from Adriatic and Black Sea will share their experience how they address the transboundary challenges. To discover more about maritime spatial development, get your feet wet and hands out of the pockets the MSP challenge game will be carried out.
The Forum serves also as the final conference of the Baltic SCOPE collaboration. It has brought together for the first time the national authorities actually responsible for the MSP and after almost two years of close cooperation has made more steps towards the coherence in Baltic maritime spatial plans.
Baltic SCOPE early findings indicate that the level of interest and involvement of decision makers and stakeholders at regional and local levels of governance needs to increase. With its successful contribution, the project created stronger links between the planning authorities and has strengthened a pan-Baltic approach to MSP. The recommendation on transboundary planning as well as obstacles and enablers derived from the project will be presented during the Forum.
To showcase the achievements and latest developments of the MSP processes, researchers, representatives of public authorities and NGOs will have displays at the Forum’s Expo Lounge exhibition.
The Forum is organized by the VASAB, Baltic SCOPE and ICES and is co-financed by the EC Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
