Spring 2008 Coastnet

C o a s t N e t eve n t s Coastal Access Conference

Questions to be tackled

A step too far, or a far sighted step?

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Location: Durham Date: 19-20 June 2008 (On day two, an optional tour of Durham Heritage coast will be made.) In September 2007 Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, announced that the Government intends to legislate so that the public will have the right to walk around the English coast for the first time. In this conference CoastNet will look beyond the detail of the forthcoming parliamentary process, to explore the potential gains for coastal communities that might arise from improved coastal access, and to question how people’s legitimate concerns might be taken into account. The conference will be aimed at coastal planners, land managers, conservation and heritage professionals, and countryside and access professionals.

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What is the right balance between accessibility and ‘naturalness’ to ensure that social and economic benefits are optimised? How can new provisions for coastal access be used to enhance the conservation and enjoyment of this resource, and deliver wider social and economic benefits? The dynamic nature of the coast presents unique management challenges, especially on rapidly eroding coasts. What mechanisms can be used to ensure sustainability of access, and to manage the health and safety implications?

Theedge T h e m a ga z i n e o f C o a s t N e t

Spring 2008

Getting to the P I N T of Corepoint

We will address these questions through expert contributions and examples from trails and path networks that have successfully met differing social, economic and environmental demands. Call for papers – We are looking for case studies where an integrated approach to path and trail management has delivered benefits to community, local business, wildlife and users. Case studies may range from strategic initiatives to local action. Contact: Alex Midlen, Tel 01206 728644 Email: [email protected]

Corepoint Partners Contacts EUCC – www.eucc.nl/

Envision – www.envision.uk.com/index.asp

The Maritime Institute, Ghent – www.maritieminstituut.be/main.cgi?s_id=1&id=&lang=en

University of Aberdeen – www.abdn.ac.uk/aicsm/

University of Western Brittany – www.univ-brest.fr/ www.ifremer.fr/anglais/ MACE at Cardiff University – www.earth.cardiff.ac.uk/research/mace/ CoastNet – www.coastnet.org.uk/

CCMR – www.science.ulster.ac.uk/ccmr/ Martin Ryan Institute – http://mri.nuigalway.ie/marinelaw Cork County Council – www.corkcoco.ie/co/web/Cork%20 County%20Council/Departments/Planning CMRC, University College Cork – http://cmrc.ucc.ie

Sefton City Council – www.sefton.gov.uk/

CoastNet emails: Alex Midlen; [email protected] Theresa Redding; [email protected] Lesley Smeardon; [email protected] Manuela de los Rios; [email protected] Suzanne Gattrell; [email protected] Events; [email protected] General; [email protected]

This publication is partially funded through the Corepoint project under the Interrreg 3B Programme. Corepoint aims to establish North West Europe as an internationally recognised region of excellence in coastal management by encouraging full implementation of ICZM, highlighting best practice, providing education by influencing national spatial policies – for further details please see http://corepoint.ucc.ie

Coastliners

On the ground

Unlocking the data

Training the professionals

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Editorial

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Editorial However idealistic we might like to be, resources usually drive us towards European programmes. I have come across two opposing

News

schools of thought in relation to matching budgets and workloads: if budgets are restrictive 6

CoastNet – breathing new life into coastal matters Spring 2008

Getting to the point of Corepoint Val Cummins, instigator and project coordinator for the Corepoint project, explains the purpose and goals of the

then a) scale back on activity and overheads; or b) seek some additional funding to fill the gap.

four year project.

latter can facilitate survival against the odds.

Coastliners 12 partners, 7 countries, one continent

It was in applying approach b) that I was first introduced to European programmes and working in a broad-based project partnership. It was hard at first to make sense of the administrative systems (the financial reporting was a nightmare) but I persevered and now it is second nature. And in addition to the extra resources that these programmes bring I can now talk at length about other benefits of equal importance.

Both have their place of course, but in small teams (and that is usually where coastal things sit), the former leads to a downward spiral of activity that quickly leads to extinction, while the

Getting to the point of Corepoint 8 The edge is a quarterly magazine, sent out to all CoastNet members. CoastNet is an international networking organisation that works with all coastal interests to promote the exchange of ideas, information and expertise to find long term solutions to coastal problems that benefit all. Our mission is to safeguard the world’s coast and those communities of people and wildlife that depend upon it for their future. Editor: Lesley Smeardon [email protected] Designed by: Cottier & Sidaway Printed by: Swan Print

Submissions To submit an article for publication, please email to the editor saving your submission as a word document. Alternatively, send to the address below. Letters can be sent to the editor but we are unable to acknowledge receipt. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions.

CoastNet: The Gatehouse, Rowhedge Wharf, High St, Rowhedge, Essex, CO5 7ET. Tel/Fax: 01206 728644 Email: [email protected] Web: www.coastnet.org.uk

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10 On the ground A look at Corepoint’s central idea of expert couplets – partnerships between locally-based research institutions and local authorities.

12 Unlocking the data Tim Stojanovic discusses the development of local information systems in ICZM practice.

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First among these is creating the freedom to innovate; to try new ways of working and to share that learning with others. In some cases I have seen these innovations become part of mainstream working because they were positive improvements. A close second is what I have

14 Training the professionals A brief look at Corepoint’s training schools and its projects that cut across issues, sectors and regions.

learned personally from seeing the diversity of approaches that are at work across Europe, and through having to understand different systems and the thinking that underpins them. I don’t doubt that this is common to most people who have been involved in European projects, and I am sure that they would all agree that it is an immensely valuable and satisfying experience. I hear of many people who shy away from Interreg, from LIFE, from Leonardo and so on, because of fears about bureaucracy, about being diverted from one’s core work. But I would urge these people to think again, especially when they work in coastal management. We need to develop new ways of working and that is

what these programmes are largely about. So I say innovate, converse and debate with your European neighbours, and bring the benefits back home. This special edition of the edge celebrates and reflects upon the achievements of the Corepoint project, funded through the European Interreg programme. The following pages give a taste of the project and some insight into what it achieved.

Alex Midlen, Strategic Director

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CoastNet is governed by an independent Board of Management and serviced by a Secretariat. Registered charity no 1055763 Registered as a company limited by guarantee, company no 3204452 The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of CoastNet. © CoastNet, 2008

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N ew s

N ew s

Local communities to share stories of the East Anglian coast Pamela Pearson, also known as ‘the Wallasea Mermaid’, will be the first person to share her story as part of Holding Back the Tide – a new Heritage Lottery funded project delivered by CoastNet. Pamela grew up on the banks of the Crouch Estuary in Essex where her parents ran the Wallasea Yacht Club. Pictured here, at the age of 20, in her homemade mermaid’s tail you can understand why she went on to be a professional synchronised swimmer – having nursed her passion for being on and in the waters of the Crouch from a young age.

The project will involve collecting stories, pictures and artefacts from East Anglian communities to tell stories of coastal change in the region over the past 50 years or more and culminate in a travelling exhibition that celebrates this coast and changes faced as told by its inhabitants. “The telling and sharing of stories can generate great pride in both individuals and communities, as well as reinforcing the value of the coast itself”, says CoastNet’s newest team member, Suzanne Gattrell, who is coordinating the project.

For more information contact Suzanne Gattrell, Project Coordinator: [email protected]

Solutions focus proves a success for SEA conference CoastNet’s first conference of 2008, on Strategic Environmental Assessment, proved yet again the popularity of CoastNet-style conferences with a strong emphasis on practical problems and solutions to implementation of SEA in coastal and marine situations. The approach was complemented by some thoughtprovoking contributions on the role of SEA in environmental justice, and on SEA as a learning tool for sustainable development. Beverley Walker, of Royal Haskoning Scotland, who made a keynote presentation commented, “It’s the best conference I have been to for years”. See www.coastnet.org.uk for the conference outputs.

News in brief ● Caribbean countries plan early tsunami warning system by 2010 Caribbean nations will set up a joint tsunami early warning centre by 2010, governments agreed at a meeting in Panama in March. Supporters want the centre to relay information from national geological institutes across the region, that could help prevent deaths and infrastructure damage in the event of a tsunami.

● Mediterranean tuna fleet in race for the last bluefin The most comprehensive analysis yet of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fleet shows it conservatively having twice the fishing capacity of current quotas and more than three and a half times the catch levels recommended by scientists to avoid stock collapse according to a new report by WWF, Race for the last bluefin.

● Uncovering the mysteries of oceanic bacteria A team of MIT researchers is trying to understand how microbes living in the oceans play a critical role in regulating Earth’s environment. The researchers have devised a new method to analyse gene expression in complex microbial populations and say the work could help better understand how oceans respond to climate change.

The fleet is so bloated that just covering its costs implies that a third of its fishing would be illegal, with the worst over-capacity culprits being Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Libya, France and Spain says the report.

● IMO to discuss shipping carbon emissions cuts The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is to discuss binding measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from international shipping. In April the body’s marine environment protection committee will explore a range of options for tackling the issue.

WWF is calling on concerned countries to dramatically reduce capacity in this fishery as a matter of urgency ahead of the 2008 fishing season that starts end-April.

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Imcore to begin where Corepoint ends Imcore, Innovative Management for Coastal Resources, is an Interreg IVB project and successor to the Corepoint project. Provisionally approved by the North West Europe Programme, Imcore will enable many of the Corepoint partners to continue to work together and apply lessons learned and techniques developed to the issue of climate change in coastal areas. It is hoped that the project will start in April.

News in brief ● Maine wants lobster fisheries certified sustainable According to the Associated Press, the US Maine lobster industry is seeking to have its lobster certified as sustainable by the Londonbased Marine Stewardship Council.

TV Coast’s, Mark Horton, speaks at APPG The Coastal and Marine All Party Parliamentary Group held its AGM in February with Dr Mark Horton from the popular Coast series delivering a passionate address on the major challenges facing the UK’s coast. His enthusiasm for the coast, and concern for the threatened coastal heritage and archaeology stimulated contributions from the audience and a lengthy debate.

● Greatest glacier ice loss recorded Latest official figures from the World Glacier Monitoring Service show that the world’s glaciers are shrinking at record rates and many could disappear within decades, the UN Environment Programme reports. Data from close to 30 reference glaciers in nine mountain ranges indicate that between the years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled.

CoastNet working in Wales CoastNet has won a contract to support CCW (Countryside Council for Wales) in taking forward the ‘Making the most of the coast’ initiative in North West Wales. Its focus will be the Menai Straight and Conwy Bay Natura 2000 nature conservation site, but taking into account the wider priorities and pressures in that area of NW Wales. CoastNet will be working with local and regional stakeholders to identify the best approach to the creation of a sustainable coastal management framework and action plan.

● North Pacific right whale receives new legal protection The US federal government in March declared the North Pacific right whale ‘endangered’ under the federal Endangered Species Act, following petitions and litigation from the Center for Biological Diveristy. The whale, once ranging from California to Alaska and across the North Pacific to Russia and Japan, is now the most endangered large whale in the world.

● Wind and wave developments A new study commissioned by the Scottish government has found that wind turbines will not put tourists off visiting Scotland. According to researchers at Glasgow’s Caledonian University carrying out the survey, three-quarters of visitors surveyed said wind farms had a positive or neutral effect on the landscape, and 97% said wind farms would have no impact on their decision to visit Scotland again.

This is good news for the plethora of wind and wave development programmes in the pipeline or underway such as that by British Gas owner, Centrica, who is now set to push ahead with one of the UK's most ambitious offshore wind generation building programmes off the Lincolnshire coast after it secured a long-term contract on the MV Resolution, the world's largest turbine-installing barge.

Spanish company Iberdrola has also begun testing its wave energy pilot in Santoña, Cantabria, which will become the first of this kind to be installed in Europe. And UK tidal energy firm, Marine Current Turbines has announced its plans to install the world's first commercial scale, gridconnected tidal energy generator at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland late in April. The project is expected to generate enough electricity for 1,000 homes. In North America, proposals for a deep water farm off the coast of Martha's Vineyard has been met with enthusiasm while the Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation were given a permit to study and possibly develop wave energy off the coast of Northern California.

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Manage to be successful?

Getting to the point of

Jeremy Gault from the Coastal and Marine Resources Centre in Cork had the task of managing the four year project. What are his tips if he had to do it again?

Corepoint

Communicate well

What made the four year Corepoint project different to other Interreg funded coastal projects involving a number of European partners focusing on ICZM? True capacity building where it matters most is the answer says Val Cummins, Corepoint Project Coordinator who speaks to Lesley Smeardon.

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In 2004, the €4.3 million Corepoint project was borne out of frustration at the stop start approach of many funded ICZM coastal projects. Its aim was to build a lasting capacity within ICZM, on the ground, where it really mattered. The idea was to create a bridge locally between those with research expertise in ICZM and those working at the ‘coast face’, perhaps with less understanding of ICZM but great knowledge of applied coastal management. Says Val Cummins, Project Coordinator and instigator of the Corepoint project, “With so many projects around that time suffering from the stop start nature of funding, it wasn’t difficult to find support in others interested in building local, sustained networks like those we were proposing. We put together a sound proposal with agreed partners and the project eventually kicked off in 2004 with 12 partners throughout North West Europe representing seven countries.” Partners represented a range of expertise and specialisms. “All of the research groups involved in Corepoint, have a broad perspective on coastal management with a genuine interest in applied research”, adds Cummins. “The expertise that they brought to the project was very diverse. Our French partners, for example, had a strong knowledge in maritime

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economics and in Belgium it was maritime law. Northern Ireland and Sefton were strong on coastal processes, while in Cardiff and Cork, stakeholder engagement and GIS respectively were more the focus. All brought something different to the mix and all were interested in coastal zone management as a process. Where one partner was weak, another was strong.”

Western Isles and Mont Saint-Michel, are sparsely populated with a high reliance on more traditional industries, such as agriculture, fishing and, increasingly, tourism.

The geographical and socioeconomic characteristics of the coastlines represented by the partners were equally diverse. Physical characteristics ranged from sites with one shoreline type, to those with far greater contrast. Sandy beaches almost totally characterise the Belgian and Sefton coasts for example, while Donegal and the eastern side of the Western Isles are predominantly comprised of rocky peninsulas interspersed with small sandy beaches or mudflats. Locations, such as the Severn Estuary and Mont Saint-Michel, are much more varied, with large areas of shingle, sand and mud, but also with areas of sea cliff and rocky shore platform.

So just how did the project build capacity? “The central focus of Corepoint was the development of local relationships between those involved in the day to day coastal management and those with expert knowledge of ICZM”, says Cummins. “These relationships, coined ‘expert couplets’ by the project, were piloted across Europe between partners and local authorities. The aim was to implement policy-led research by pooling resources in local centres to lift capacity.”

Equally varied were the socioeconomic characteristics, with Cork Harbour, the Severn Estuary and Flanders, for example, incorporating large urban populations and extensive industrial development as well as tourism and recreation. Others, such as Donegal,

“This provided Corepoint with great physical, ecological and socioeconomic diversity in which to test ICZM capacity building approaches”, adds Cummins.

“To help facilitate this process we also set up a series of two day training schools, targeted towards local authorities that focused on the ICZM principles of best practice. The schools made use of good relevant case studies from our partners that allowed unprecedented cross-learning. This, along with site visits, gave the learning experience huge practical relevance.

“With information management being key to good ICZM practice, Corepoint also provided guidance on developing local information systems. Six pilots were developed in the course of the project with a set of very structured guidelines the end result. In addition, Corepoint, through CoastNet, developed ‘CoastWeb’, a coastal portal launched in June 2006 enabling practioners anywhere to access important coastal management information as well as add to the resource themselves.” “Of course, there were many other aspects of Corepoint, with cross cutting work going on throughout the project. The EUCC, for example undertook some interesting research, testing the EU approved ICZM progress indicator at the local level to measure the progress in ICZM implementation in Europe.”

funding under a new name (Imcore), with a new set of objectives and timeframe. Wouldn’t capacity building in ICZM have been better served had Corepoint used its coastal credibility to lobby at a national level for national strategies with real financial teeth to fund on-the-ground work? “There’s definitely a need for EU member states to develop national strategies”, says Cummins. “Only a handful of countries have responded to the EU ICZM recommendation so far – Germany, France, Northern Ireland, for example. In Corepoint, we tried to develop a nested approach to influence back up from the local level. In Ireland, for example, we encouraged the development of a national advisory board which was set up with government departments. This proved highly successful, culminating in a national coastal conference with recommendations for changes to foreshore legislation coming out of this.

“Ultimately”, says cummins, “with Corepoint we wanted to demonstrate that building capacity from the local level through our expert couplet approach can work and I think we “It’s true that without a recognised national strategy, you’re always going proved that.” to be riding the funding circus. But I Where next? think Corepoint has certainly raised a Now, as Corepoint comes to an end, greater interest in ICZM. This is hugely you can’t help wondering if the stop evident in the fact that many more start nature of coastal funding has local authorities are now coming on changed all that much. Continuing board as full partners in Corepoint’s where Corepoint left off has meant successor, Imcore. The commitment is reapplying for a new package of there far more than it’s ever been.”

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Get off to a good start. The first meeting should offer opportunities for Partners to get to know how the people they are going to work with actually tick. Build up a rapport with the funding body from the start – they like to be kept informed and are as keen for you to succeed as you are! Promote the project from the start – our biggest error was not including a budget for promoting the project with high quality multi-language material for dissemination. Don’t be over-reliant on email. It’s a great management tool but you need to follow up with phone calls and other contact.

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Cultural diversity is a key strength of a European project but remember that with this diversity comes a need for cultural sensitivity. Work transnationally. In a very short time it became apparent that the training schools were better because several partners were working together to deliver them. Partners saw the benefits of this type of working for other actions and the actions which involved more partners produced the best outputs and generated the best working environment.

Manage expectations •

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Be prepared to adapt the project to unforeseen internal and external influences, such as changes in the political landscape. Be aware of the differing levels of expectations from partners. Partners need space and time to decide exactly what they can take from the project and what they are prepared to give. Be absolutely clear to partners about what is happening at project level, not just in their specific field or geographical area, from the very start. Accept critical feedback. It’s a positive thing and can only benefit any project. The edge Spring 2008

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EUCC, the Coastal Union

EUCC’s main focus was in testing the EU approved ICZM progress indicator at the local level to measure the progress in the implementation of integrated coastal zone management in Europe.

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Tim Stojanovic, MACE, Cardiff University

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CoastNet

CoastNet developed and delivered eight regional conferences in every partner country on a The Institute formed an expert couplet specific aspect of ICZM. It also (along with the local Flemish developed and delivered the coastal Authority) looking at ICZM in Flanders. portal ‘CoastWeb’. It also undertook a review of legal approaches in ICZM.

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The Maritime Institute, University of Ghent

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Sefton City Council

Sefton Council formed an University of Western expert couplet with fellow Corepoint partner, MACE at Cardiff University to Brittany The university formed expert couplets develop a local information system in Mont Saint-Michel Bay and also the focusing on coastal change. Golfe Du Morbhian.

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Envision

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Envision developed and ran Marine and Coastal the six ICZM training schools (see Environment Group p14) and formed an expert couplet (MACE), Cardiff University with the Durham Heritage Coast MACE was the key partner in looking at ICZM on the Durham developing local information systems Coast. The group also produced, for a number of local areas including with CMRC, a report quantifying Sefton and the Severn. It also provided the economic benefits of natural input into a number of key reports as coastal ecosystems. well as forming an expert couplet with the Severn Estuary Partnership looking at maritime heritage and ICZM policy along the Severn.

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The expert couplet provided a first hand living laboratory in the Severn for our research into coastal planning and management. Rhoda Ballinger, Mace

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The really positive thing about Corepoint has been the way it tried to apply the science by taking a wider learning approach.

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Centre for Coastal and Marine Research (CCMR) at the University of Ulster

CCMR formed an expert couplet with Donegal County Council to look at coastal erosion along Donegal’s beaches. The group provided recommendations for how to work with natural process in dealing with coastal issues.

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Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Galway

The Institute produced and coordinated an extensive review of international approaches to ICZM and a review of EU legislation and policies with implications for coastal management. These were produced with input from other Corepoint partners, namely MACE, Envision, University of Gent and CMRC.

Corepoint in numbers

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Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science and Management, University of Aberdeen

The Institute formed an expert couplet with the Western Isles Council working on various issues including coastal archaeology, education and use conflict.

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Cork County Council

Cork County Council formed an expert couplet with fellow Corepoint partner, CMRC, working on an integrated coastal management strategy for Cork Harbour.

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Coastal & Marine Resources Centre (CMRC), University College Cork

CMRC were project leaders of Corepoint as well as forming an expert couplet with Cork County Council.

There is a long way to go but the expert couplets have been a useful starting point. Jeremy Hills, Envision

Corepoint has been extremely positive in terms of better understanding and knowledge of one another’s issues. Manuelle Phillip, University of Brest

€ 4.3 million 4 years 12 partners 7 countries Over 19,000 km of coastline* 9 expert couplets schools with over 120 6 training participants 6 local information systems in development

8 conferences 720 conference delegates 19 reports ONE coastal portal *(CIA world factbook: www.cia.gov/library/ publications/the-world-factbook)

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Other expert couplets in the Corepoint Project

On the ground

Flanders Coupling up: Maritime Institute, University of Gent and Flanders Administration Focus: Linking the expertise of the Flanders Administration in coastal defence and the effects of climate change with the Maritime Institute’s knowledge in the field of maritime law and policy.

The heart of the Corepoint project was about building ICZM capacity through the development of long lasting, sustainable relationships with locally-based research centres and coastal professionals working daily on coastal issues. These, Corepoint called expert couplets. Did they work? The edge takes at look at two.

Donegal Beaches

Developing an integrated management strategy, Cork Harbour

Improving local community participation in ICZM projects, Mont Saint-Michel Bay

did through the development of the Cork Harbour Forum – a multi stakeholder group representing the various interests in the Harbour. This greatly helped in the production of the integrated management strategy which has just been finalised.”

Coupling up: University of Ulster and Donegal County Council Focus: Building on existing relationships including advice on soft engineering approaches to coastal erosion, the development of a beach recreational strategy and informal site level advice.

Durham Coast Coupling up: Envision Ltd and local authority, Durham Heritage Coast Focus: Developing a holistic regional level approach to ICZM.

Golfe Du Morbhian

From the practitioners – Cork County Council Cork Harbour is one of the world’s largest, naturally sheltered harbours and is characterised by several concentrated urban areas, principally Cork City but also rapidly growing towns. There is much industrial development dominated by the chemical, (bio)pharmaceutical and technology industries and recreational boating is also increasing in popularity.

From the researchers – Coastal & Marine Resources Centre (CMRC) “The local authority identified a need to look at an integrated management strategy for Cork Harbour”, says Val Cummins of CMRC. “They asked CMRC to do the research and we looked at a number of issues. These included a review of best practice in the rejuvenation of coastal brownfield sites and a detailed study regarding recreational carrying capacity to see what opportunities were available to further support boating activities. “The overarching objective however was to facilitate a more integrated approach to the planning and management of the harbour which we

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“Our role in the planning department is very much land use based terrestrial planning so ICZM wasn’t really something which played a major role in our day-to-day working lives. Corepoint teamed us up with a group of researchers where ICZM was a daily part of their work”, says Darragh O’Suilleabhain, Planner at Cork County Council. “The Local Authority was given initial ICZM training through Corepoint. The two day course brought together staff in the council who hadn’t met before. This alone, opened up communication between different departments. Now, for example, I can phone a local engineer from the west part of the county (around 100 Km away) for another perspective which helps with planning policy and decision making.” “Of course, one of the main outcomes was the Integrated Management Strategy for Cork Harbour. This strategy was prepared with the help of key stakeholders, who were represented on a steering group jointly chaired by Cork County Council and CMRC. The steering

Coupling up: University of Western Brittany and Ifremer (Corepoint partners) and The Intercommunal Association of the Gulf (SIAGM) Focus: Improving capacity building and experience exchanges on ICZM and also generating a GIS-based use model focusing on both sea kayaking and bird conservation.

group included Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Port of Cork, NGOs, the Chamber of Commerce and IDA.”

And the benefits….. Says Cummins of CMRC, “It was great to apply our research into a working document. We couldn’t have done this without the institutional weight of the authority to get all stakeholders together to take the strategy forward.” Says O’Suilliebhain from the Council: “It was an outstanding outcome for us. The strategy is now finished and we now start on implementation. Corepoint was the catalyst for this work to start. People knew something had to happen but day to day workings of our own organisation came first. There was a need to be more proactive.” The success of Corepoint? “Well”, says O’Suilliebhain, “apart from the strategy we (the council) want to be part of the Corepoint follow up project, Imcore. That, in itself, is an achievement because it has generated so much interest and willingness to move ICZM forward”.

Mont Saint-Michel Bay has one of the largest intertidal zones in the world and the bay is characterised by long flat beaches with a few dunes, but also cliffs and rocky coast at its western and north-eastern parts. About 40,000 people inhabit the bay but this population increases in summer with tourists attracted by the historic abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. Fabienne Kervarec from the University of Brest says of the project, “The expert couplet concept developed by Corepoint didn’t really exist before Corepoint and we had to build new ways of working with the other organisation involved – in this case, Manche-Ille et Vilaine. It took us time in order to identify the issues where it would be relevant to collaborate. For Mont Saint-Michel Bay, we focused on looking at the role of those stakeholders whose participation in ICZM projects was difficult to obtain.

This involved many interviews and a final report aimed to improve the participation process of the local population.”

And the benefits... Says Manuelle Philippe, also University of Brest and part of the expert couplet team at both Mont Saint-Michel and the Gulf of Morbihan, “The result has been extremely positive in terms of better understanding and knowledge of both organisations’ issues. One area we really had to work on was simply the difference in timescales between researchers and local managers as well as each other’s key competencies. Moreover, the couplet in the Gulf of Morbihan which we were also involved in has been successful in terms of long term collaboration as the SIAGM (practitioners) is now a member of the Corepoint follow-on project, Imcore.”

Western Isles Coupling up: Aberdeen University and the Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) Focus: Various issues but including the application of risk assessment and use conflict techniques to coastal archaeological prioritisation in the region and using a biodiversity portfolio approach to assess the services provided by the coastal environment of Baile Sear Island, North Uist.

Sefton Coast Coupling up: Cardiff University and Sefton Council Focus: Developing a local information system focusing on coastal change (see p12).

Severn Estuary Coupling up: Marine and Coastal Environment Group (MACE), Cardiff University and the Severn Estuary Partnership. Focus: Developing a maritime education heritage pack for the Severn Estuary.

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Unlocking the data

Data sets available for the Sefton Coast

Access to quality information that’s filtered to provide the data you need, when you need it is probably on the top ten wish list for many coastal professionals. And a shared information system that’s regularly updated and easy to access can potentially save money, time and resources for all those involved in the long term. Enter the local information system (LIS) – an IT-enabled system built to support the efforts of local managers, such as engineers, planners, tourism officers, harbour masters and environmental managers. For those willing to form a network for managing coastal information, then a LIS may be a suitable option. But it’s not without its pitfalls. “An important, but little recognised fact is that information systems can and often do fail because the lessons learnt in the field of information science and information systems are simply not applied”, says Tim Stojanovic of MACE who was charged with developing LIS across six pilots as part of the Corepoint project. “We wanted to produce a set of structured guidelines informed by LIS projects across Europe and the latest thinking

in the information system discipline to stop people repeating past mistakes.” In working with the six organisations, MACE was keen to adopt a user-led approach for developing information systems at the outset. Says Stojanovic, “We found that people generally start from three possible places. The first is where those involved are excited first and foremost by the technology. This can lead to some really positive, novel solutions but I’ve also seen a lot of money spent on tools where there’s been little real application. There’s a danger that you can become bewitched by technology. The second approach is a data-led one – simply asking the question: what are the resources out there and how can we catalogue them? The problem with this approach is that people become overwhelmed by it – there’s simply no real rationale for structuring the information. The last approach, and one we favour, is the user-led one – developing a series of questions relating to a real need.” “Through this approach, the organisations we worked with were able to develop clear and distinct needs for their information systems. Sefton Council, for example, wanted

Ribble Estuary

Training walls – dates of intervention, location and action

The methodology produced by MACE as part of the Corepoint project is a great starting point to help avoid previous mistakes in developing a usable local information system. The detailed methodology points to seven key steps:

Land Reclamation extents and dates Coast Wide Data – Historical photographs and video footage of the coast – Water table monitoring – Soils – Sediment sampling – O/S data from 1850 to present day – Aerial photography from 1945 to 2006 – Storm data

Producing a methodology for those interested in implementing local information systems (LIS) at the coast was a key aim of the Corepoint project. Six pilots later, the guidelines have been produced and are about to be sent out to 50 projects around Europe already looking at the possibility of using such systems. So, what are the secrets of a good LIS?

A user perspective

Guidelines for implementing Local Information Systems at the coast

Southport

Salt marsh extent and levels

Birkdale Chart data showing the positions of sand banks and channels for the Ribble and Mersey Estuaries

to look at coastal change, while Cork was interested in land use planning and development control decisions and the Fal Estuary in Cornwall focused on nature conservation and environmental quality.” What resulted from the six pilots was a structured, seven point methodology for LIS development (see opposite). While the guidelines are set to provide an excellent grounding for those looking to set up an LIS, the ultimate success will inevitably come down to funding for the development of such work. Even within the Corepoint project, money available was limited with some pilots only able to complete phase 1 of the work. For those organisations without the necessary resources and time, an LIS project is probably not the best way forward. “The crazy thing is many organisations involved, probably spend tens of thousands of Euros collecting and storing data that may only be used a few times”, comments Stojanovic. “What’s really needed is the vision and drive to share information. It’s really a central theme for true ICZM. The benefits could be huge if we all begin to share.”

“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)

Ainsdale

Beach profile data from line 1 at Crosby to line 30 at Marshside Beach topographic survey

Liverpool Bay data – Tide gauges – Bottom drifters – Wave modelling Dune toe survey Formby Tide pole data

Dredging locations, dates and quantities of materials dredged and dumped

Hightown

Training walls – dates of intervention, location and action

Weather station data

Sand dune topographic data from Formby to Ainsdale

A total of 2,600 datasets were identified by Sefton Council, such as 18th century charts showing where the shoreline was and aerial photographs from the 1940s. Providing a properly catalogued system to make the data available was where the LIS came in.

Mersey Estuary

A working LIS for Sefton One of the teams MACE worked with was fellow Corepoint partner, Sefton Council. Says Graham Lymbery of the council, “We already had experience of putting together a type of database in the early eighties when computer power was limited, so the database itself was a collection of documents in a number of cardboard boxes.” “We wanted to store and interpret this existing coastal change data in such a way that it could more easily be updated in the future and communicated to other users, such as land-managers or researchers. “We originally wanted the LIS to be available online but the costs, for us,

were prohibitive. Instead the system is now maintained through a gatekeeper (an information manager) and we make the reports generated from it available online. “We in the coastal defence team manage the LIS because it is the data we need for undertaking analysis. We are still adding to the information both through digitisation of material such as aerial photos and old records and through new data capture. For us, the LIS is extremely useful. We’ve found it provides a starting point for much of our analysis that subsequently informs policy and it does so in a credible way – credibility is very important.”

1 Justify information systems – It takes money, time and commitment from collaborators to build an information system. So it’s important to build a case to justify why LIS is useful. 2 Have clear purpose You cannot answer all questions relevant to coastal management in one attempt. Instead, focus on some key purpose/s for the system so coastal practitioners can clearly identify the system with a particular part of their work. 3 Involve users Be user-led, not data-led – relate your system to the work of coastal practitioners. 4 Solve technical obstacles Information systems can only work where a variety of technical obstacles have been solved – these obstacles relate both to policy and technical issues. 5 Deploy appropriate technology There are many technologies out there so choose carefully to spend limited finance wisely. 6 Check for quality assurance Put checks in place to avoid the ‘rubbish in – rubbish out’ syndrome. 7 Implement and train Involve users from beginning to end to ensure familiarity with the system and willingness to provide data to populate it as well as belief in the product. The final, comprehensive, step by step methodology is available online at: http://crc67.ucc.ie/corepoint/wp46

we can find information on it.” The edge Spring 2008

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Site visit to one of Northern Ireland’s most celebrated tourist attractions, the Giant’s Causeway. The site is managed by the National Trust and the training group looked at a wide combination of instruments needed to maintain the heritage and wilderness values while ensuring accessibility to as wide a part of society as possible.

Training the professionals excitement and enthusiasm. The reality on the ground, however, is different with many professionals working in local authorities, responsible for implementation, not having a clue about ICZM. It’s not on their radar in the same way.”

As part of Corepoint’s commitment to build capacity for ICZM on the ground, a series of two day training courses were developed and delivered across North West Europe to help coastal professionals get to grips with the key principles of ICZM in practice. Jeremy Hills from Envision, a research consultancy and partner organisation of Corepoint, was heavily involved in the development of the courses. “We were interested in bringing practical skills into what could be perceived as an academic based project”, says Hills. “The academic community has long since embraced ICZM with much

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The edge Spring 2008

The training courses set out to change that, focusing on the EU approved principles of ICZM as the course platform, and using the multinational skills of partners to create practical case studies to show best practice in ICZM. Unique to the training was the integrated approach taken, not looking at specific sectors for example as in the case with much ICZM training but dividing the information by principles, cutting across sectors and issues. “For each course, we selected and focused on the principles that were most appropriate for the local area in terms of issues”, comments Hills. “In Port Rush, Northern Ireland, for

example a key issue was planning and housing development in coastal areas. We took that to be an issue of local specificity and went out to look at planning and the problem with planning law. This, coupled with a visit to a site to illustrate the principles, made them real and most importantly, relevant to the participants.”

“The ICZM training schools have provided an excellent and valuable experience not just for me but for our regional stakeholders and partners. The involvement in the Schools has also had a strongly positive effect on this region’s approach to how it manages its coastal resource.” Niall Benson, from Durham Heritage Coast Partnership and participant at the Severn Estuary training course

Cutting across the issues CoastWeb As well as specific regional work, Corepoint also undertook a number of more overarching projects. Through Corepoint partner CoastNet, the project ran eight conferences throughout North West Europe focusing on specific aspects of ICZM. In addition, CoastNet developed the coastal portal CoastWeb.

“Our pool of expertise from our partners allowed us to take examples from various locations and show them to be relevant in other areas dealing with similar issues. Dolphin stranding in Holland, for example, was an eye opener in courses we ran elsewhere.”

Says Alex Midlen, CoastNet’s Strategic Director “CoastNet wanted to improve access to information for decisionmaking in coastal areas. It's about joining up separate sources, about making all that ‘grey’ literature

(un-published reports) available for all to use, about connecting up internet based sources of information and sifting the good from the bad. Corepoint enabled us to realise the first stage in this vision with the construction and launch of CoastWeb, an online archive and news resource.” A considerable achievement of the Corepoint project has been to link CoastWeb with other digital initiatives at European level. CoastWeb, for example, provides a structure and a home for background information for the new Coastal Wikipaedia. This has been developed by the Encora project, of which CoastNet is a Partner and Corepoint an Associate Network. This hopefully marks the start of a shared coastal and maritime information infrastructure for Europe.

ICZM EU indicator As well as reviews and reports looking at various aspects of ICZM, Corepoint

also tested at a local level the EU indicator to measure progress in the implementation of integrated coastal zone management in Europe. Says Alan Pickaver of EUCC, the Corepoint partner responsible for the work, “We wanted to test this indicator at the local level, to get some first hand feedback from local users. We organised a number of workshops with our Corepoint partners in Wales, France, Belgium, Ireland and England.” “The work allowed us to test the indicator in a focused way giving us some indication of ICZM implementation in Europe. There certainly is clear evidence that ICZM is progressing.” “Now we are hoping to do more work through Corepoint’s successor Imcore dividing the EU indicator actions into steps, giving it greater sophistication and relevance”. The edge Spring 2008

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