Maritime spatial planning ensures the sustainability of the ocean

The enhancement of maritime space and the use, preservation and exercise of economic activities that ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability are a key challenge for several countries. At the Lisbon workshop, Future of Maritime Spatial Planning and Ocean Monitoring: What Potential for Economic Tools and Satellite Technology, 40 experts, researchers and decision-makers from ten OECD countries and various international organizations debated the role of maritime spatial planning in creating the conditions for a single maritime area to host various activities with the potential for economic exploitation, in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner.

We are experiencing numerous situations of intensified use of maritime space (navigation, maritime transport) and exploitation of marine resources (prospecting, research and exploitation of geological resources, fisheries, aquaculture). This intensification often leads to increased pressure on ecosystems. At the same time, recent scientific developments in emerging areas such as ocean energies, the deep sea or marine biotechnology are also posing new challenges in terms of making uses compatible and articulating the economic value of exploiting marine resources while respecting environmental conditions. In this context, the planning of activities in the maritime space makes it possible to reduce potential conflicts between different sectors of activity, contributing to a more sustainable use and greater economic exploitation of the marine environment.

It is particularly important to develop new systems for ocean governance and for regulating the use of marine resources, based on robust information and, in turn, on a solid scientific basis.

The workshop discussed issues such as the multiple uses of the ocean and coastal zones, the evolution of maritime spatial planning around the world, and the innovation associated with governance and economic instruments for this purpose. Special attention was paid to the issues of data collection and management and its quality, and information infrastructures to support maritime spatial planning.

This workshop is particularly relevant for Portugal, since maritime spatial planning is a theme of the National Research and Innovation Strategy for Intelligent Specialization (ENEI) and the National Strategy for the Sea 2013-2020 (ENM 2013-2020). Both consider maritime spatial planning to be a key tool for the development of the "economy of the sea".

The workshop Future of Maritime Spatial Planning and Ocean Monitoring: What Potential for Economic Tools and Satellite Technology took place at the beginning of June, as part of part of the OECD project The Future of the Ocean Economy: Exploring the prospects for emerging ocean industries to 2030 (part of the Futures Program of the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry). The project aims to carry out a prospective analysis of the ocean economy for 2030, with special emphasis on the development potential of emerging activities. It began in 2013 and Portuguese participation is ensured by the FCT (coordinator of national participation), the Directorate-General for Maritime Policy (DGPM) and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG), and is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.