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

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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)

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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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)

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

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

13. Norway example: Nature Value Index framework
Source:
Source: Certain et al., 2011

14. Annex – examples of coastal units

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

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

17. River catchments Coastal catchments and lower courses of large basins

18. Seabed landscapes Broad-scale seabed habitat maps (EMODnet / EUSeaMap)
Source:

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

20. 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

21. 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

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

23. Decision: Areas with flooding risk in Estonia, March 2007