Funded under the INTERREG IIIB programme, Corepoint is a €4.2m project with 12 Partners from Ireland, UK, France, Netherlands and Belgium. The expertise within the project consortium will be optimised to progress the development and implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) solutions across the Northwest Europe (NWE) region.
Objectives
The principle goal of Corepoint is:
To Establish NWE as an Internationally Recognised Region of Excellence in Coastal Management
This goal can only be achieved by successfully utilising trans-national cooperation, and by harnessing the experience of the Project Partners in order to meet the following objectives:
• Build European and local capacity to implement ICZM programmes.
• Provide concrete solutions for current problems in the Northwest region using current best practice approaches and identify models for sustaining ICZM initiatives.
• Promote social and political responsibility for the coastal environment.
• Influence national spatial policy development in response to the EU Recommendation on ICZM.
• Develop an integrated coastal information management system for NWE.
Activities
The following activities will be undertaken to meet these objectives:
- Determine the effectiveness of current spatial policies for ICZM - Review international approaches to ICZM; quantify the economic benefits of natural coastal ecosystems; identify financial models for sustaining ICZM initiates; review the EU ICZM Stocktake process; analyse key coastal issues and conflicts; and determine the status of ICZM as an approach to spatial planning in NWE.
- Implement best practice in ICZM - Taking the concept of ‘think global, act local’ this action recognises the importance of spatial planning and decision making at the local level for bringing real change to coastal communities. This action will implement ICZM initiatives in local study areas throughout NWE, by building on the lessons learned from the EU Demonstration Programme on ICZM.
- Engage European decision-makers and citizens in ICZM - A series of workshops, open days, field trips, networking activities and expert ICZM surgeries will take place. Combined with positive outcomes from the local studies implementing ICZM and support for the process among citizens, these will help guide national policy and influence decision-makers.
- Attain excellence in ICZM for NWE - Capacity-building for coastal management by educating decision-makers and strengthening links between local authorities and university research centres using ICZM school and exchange programmes.
- Establish the Northwest Europe Coastal Resource Centre - Development of a Virtual Coastal Resource Centre for NW Europe. The centre will house the following features: a Geographic Information System (GIS); Coastal Atlas for NW Europe; Local Information System (LIS); decision making tools for local authorities; a Media Information Resource Centre and a Coastal Zone Youth Club.