PRESSURES, IMPACTS AND POLICY RESPONSES IN EUROPEAN COASTAL ZONES
Table 1: The set of 18 SPICOSA study sites (Map
) is representative for the diversity of European coastal environments. They all host valuable ecosystems and most of them have a NATURA2000 status. Dark blue = entirely NATURA2000, light blue = partly NATURA2000.
Pressures, impacts and policy responses have been identified for 18 coastal sites in Europe. These sites were selected as study sites for the SPICOSA project
, as they constitute together a representative sample of the diversity of European coastal environments. A comparative analysis reveals striking similarities between coastal sites in spite of widely different physical, environmental, social and economic conditions. It therefore makes sense to share experience on policies and practices for defining the best policy responses in each particular case. A generic framework for analysis is under construction in the SPICOSA project, based on the systems approach. This framework of analysis enables the transfer of knowledge and experience among coastal sites, with full consideration of site-specific conditions. More...