Statistical units for coastal accounts Andrus Meiner, EEA EEA expert workshop, 12 May 2011

Aquaculture Human dimension Land based pollution Tourism Coastal Zone Marine energy Aggregate materials ICZM / Marine Spatial Planning ecosystems Maritime transport Fisheries Human dimension Aquaculture Land based pollution Natura2000 at sea Protected Areas Coastal Zone Catchments Off-shore area

Coastal accounts and ecosystem appraoch Coasts as human ecosystems: Europe’s coasts are result of interaction of human and natural processes Natural systems River basins and coastal waters Coastal sediment systems (cells) Marine (sub)regions Coastal ecosystems (broad scale types) Human systems Coastal regions (statistical units) Governance (coastal management plans) Developement and resource use (economic sectors)

Ecosystem approach in accounting practice Data availability Spatial data coverage to populate coastal units across sea/land interface Sufficient and balanced represenation of human and natural coastal processes Policy relevancy Spatial management units use ecosystem-based approach Policy concepts and related reporting data flows Methodology used for accounting Spatial accounting units (data model) is adequately representing the reality Sound assumptions for models and frameworks for data ingtegration

Spatially explicit accounting for ecological value and pressures Modular approach expand from change in physical stocks to ecosystem functions and services broaden spatial extent from land to coastal waters and to the sea (TW, EEZ and High seas)

Land accounting in 10 km coastal zone Net land cover change within the 0-10 km coastal zone 2000-2006 (preliminary results based on 15 MS)

Proposal step 1 Starting with known e.g. coastal land Basic ingredients for delineation Coastal catchments to address ecosystems integrity Dominant landscape types for broad-scale ecosystems Elevation zones to address vulnerability Keep in mind the need to assimilate data on human population density status of key habitat types socio-economic drivers governance perspective – coastal management units

Coastal waters and EEZ Source: BIOMES - Marine Ecosystem Services, JRC/IES, contact Camino Liquete

Proposal step 2 ... continue to include the sea Starting point: coastal accounting units on land Add coastal waters (e.g. WFD water bodies) Towards marine accounts Add marine compartments / sub-regions Use broad-scale seabed habitat types

GENERAL applicability of EU policy for delineation of coastal spatial units Coastal zone management units 1 nautical mile limit (WFD) River basins, inland and coastal water bodies, Inner waters Territorial water limit (4-12 nm) EEZ limit baseline limit Territorial waters Marine (sub)regions Member States sovereignty or jurisdiction waters Coastal habitats and species Despite apparently ‘clear cut’ boundaries above: Plenty of deep-sea ecosystems are found within the EEZs => The Habitats & Birds directives (e.g. Natura2000) apply to the limit (thanks to the UK ECJ Greenpeace Darwin seamounts case). The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) all apply Beyond the EEZs: Habitats & Birds directives - The EC (and ECJ) consider that ‘rights’ (jurisdiction) on the exploitation of natural resources = Obligations for Member States where these rights are exercised => The directives also apply to the continental shelf (see 2007 guidelines for application of B & H directives to the marine environment) IMP - Applies (it has an international dimension) MSFD – Contains some provisions for that (several recitals make it a tool for the implementation of international commitments 6, 9, 16 & 18. Article 13-Programmes of Measures refers to the need to integrate international measures in them. Article 15-Further Community action refers to the possibility to develop additional action to resolve problems, even international, that cannot be resolved with Community legislation ) as well as the fact that it is the environmental pillar of the IMP Liability? => Could the above be ‘tested’???? Plus Member States and the Communities commitments under international conventions and agreements (e.g. UNCLOS, CBD) So, AGAIN, deep sea ecosystems = Clearly an European issue of EU relevance => Relevant for EEA assessments of policy effectiveness (EU and multilateral agreements) even if they are hardy addressed there at the moment Maritime economy, including fishing High seas (UN Conventions)

Sub-basins and coastal waters Source: HELCOM MONAS 14/2011, Document 4/1

Coastal water types Source: HELCOM MONAS 14/2011, Document 4/1

Norway example: Nature Value Index framework Source: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0018930 Source: Certain et al., 2011

Annex – examples of coastal units

Socio-economic data EUROSTAT Coastal regions of EU Sea basins Relative size of sea basin catchments Source: Eurostat, GISCO

Water legislation EU Water Framework Directive: River basin districts include a stretch of coastal water

River catchments Coastal catchments and lower courses of large basins

Seabed landscapes Broad-scale seabed habitat maps (EMODnet / EUSeaMap) Source: www.jncc.gov.uk/EUSeaMap

Coastal water quality Algal biomass distributions (GMES/MARCOAST MERIS data) Coastal unit?

Coastal ecosystems EU Habitats directive, status of coastal habitat types Overall conservation status per biogeographical region Green – favourable Orange – unfavourable-inadequate Red – unfavourable-bad Grey – unknown Baltic Atlantic Macaronesian Mediterranean Boreal Continental Sandbanks slightly covered by sea water all the time Data not available Large shallow inlets and bays Coastal lagoons Mudflats and sand flats not covered by seawater by low tide Estuaries Not occurring Reefs Boreal Baltic islets and small islands Posidonia beds Atlantic salt meadows Source: EEA/ETC-BD, Habitats directive Art 17 data base

Lower limit of Posidonia Source: EUSeaMap project Range of 0.84 – 1.08% surface light reaching the seabed to describe infralittoral zone Source: EUSeaMap project

Zones of high risk Elevation above sea level: coastal lowland Mapping vulnerability

Decision: Areas with flooding risk in Estonia, March 2007