News and Events
Sustainable sea planning for the future: EU supports maritime spatial planning in the Black Sea
If you look at the sea, it appears to be an expanse without borders or limits, where everybody could roam boundlessly. But then, if you think about all the activities taking place there (fishing, transport, fish farming, tourism etc.), you realise that they each occupy a bit of that expanse, and that there are plenty of activities taking place at the same time, with the risk of some disrupting the others. For those activities to coexist there is a process, called maritime spatial planning (MSP), which analyses and plans the distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives. Its goal is to develop spatial plans, which define the effective use of marine areas for different maritime activities and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. At the same time, MSP creates a framework for coordinated, transparent and sustainable decision making on the basis of reliable data and cooperation across borders.
Now, focus on the Black Sea. That sea is the EU’s eastern gate, a junction between Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, an important transport and energy hub, a crossroad of different cultures, a region with significant political, social and economic fragmentation. The Black Sea is among the most endangered ones in Europe, with a “closed” and unique ecosystem under threat by the continental pressures and conflicting coastal and maritime activities.
Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases its next report titled "Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis" on 9 August 2021. This report is the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report and is released following an approval session held remotely to consider the document from 26 July to 6 August.
Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change. The REPORT provides the latest assessment of scientific knowledge about the warming of the planet and projections for future warming, and assess its impacts on the climate system.
The World Bank featured a Story Map: “Bulgaria: Toward Blue Economy Development”
The Story Map communicates the evidence from the diagnostic analysis and key policy messages of the full report, “Bulgaria: Toward Blue Economy Development” for the opportunities that each sector brings to the blue economy in order to better understand the development risks and chart a way forward that factors in future challenges. The GIS Story Map is an excellent tool to empower and involve all relevant stakeholders and provides a dynamic platform for increased transparency, accountability, and public engagement.
The CCMS Director, Dr. Margarita Stancheva has been involved in the diagnostic analysis of the Blue Economy in Bulgaria and has actively contributed to the GIS Story Map.
Follow the published Story Map on the World Bank website:
https://arcg.is/0Lqymv
The July 2021 Newsletter of IGU CCS is out and ready to read!
The Commission on Coastal Systems (CCS) to the International Geographical Union (IGU) is delighted to release its July 2021 Newsletter: you can discover the latest news, CCS recent and upcoming activities, initiatives and collaborations by following CCS website: http://igu-coast.org/.
The CCS Newsletter is issued twice a year and highlights the activities of Commission on Coastal Systems and its members all across the world. If you would like to join CCS network, you only need to fill out the form at the end of the Newsletter or to get in contact with CCS Secretary Margarita Stancheva ().
Enjoy the content of July 2021 Newsletter and participate by sharing information and disseminating it to your wide networks and interested readers.