Developing Efficient Information Provision Tools for ICM Practitioners in the Baltic

Abstract

In line with the European Commission’s Communication on an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Strategy for Europe, the paper argues that better information provision is a prerequisite for environmentally and economically sustainable development in the region. Some international programmes and agreements are being introduced which provide the base for improving ICZM-related communication structures in the Baltic today with a focus on ecosystem management. Then, the most relevant recent international initiatives in this field are being listed: several Internet-based decision support tools, information services and programmes aiming to help the users — coastal planners, managers, researchers, stakeholders — in locating appropriate information and data dispersed over a multitude of institutions and accessing it as easily as possible. The analysis of stumbling blocks to successful application of these tools points the finger at data providers who must improve the quantity and quality of available data. Also, the needs of data users should be increasingly taken into consideration when designing new research projects and data management systems. When looking to the future, CoastBase has the potential to become a virtual clearing house for coastal and marine information and data.