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Mar 17

17 April 2008, INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT: FROM THEORY TO ACTION, workshop in Nicosia

WORKSHOP 17 APRIL 2008,
NICOSIA: INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT:
FROM THEORY TO COOPERATIVE ACTION

At 17 April 2008, at FULBRIGHT Centre in Nicosia, AKTI Project and Research Centre organises the Workshop INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT: FROM THEORY TO COOPERATIVE ACTION.

You can see the concept of the workshop and the program below. For registration contact AKTI Project and Research Centre (for Turkish press here)

CONCEPT:

Coastal Zones are among the most fragile natural ecosystems, extremely vulnerable to human intervention. Multiple and complex parameters coexist and interact within the dynamic coastal system: natural, social, economic etc. It is a precious natural resource under threat due to overexploitation and increasing human pressures: 2/3 of the human population (3,6 billion people) live near a coastline.

European Union is concerned about the future of its 100,000 km of coastline:

  1. over 1/3 of the European population lives within 50 km from the coastline.
  2. more than 143 million people live along the coastline in the Mediterranean,.
  3. 50% of the Mediterranean coasts will be the victims of construction until 2025 according to European Environment Agency (EEA 2006).
  4. 20% of European coasts are facing erosion (EUROSION, 2004) and 80% of Mediterranean coastline will be threatened by erosion during following years (UNEP/MAP, 2006).
  5. In Cyprus, 90% of tourism activity is concentrated in the coastal areas which represent only the 13% of the island’s territory!

Economic development results in extreme pressures on the coastal and marine environments. What are the limits to such development? The carrying capacity of coastal ecosystems is not infinite.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) has been addressed as a major priority for ensuring the sustainable future of the Planet. In June 2007 the European Commission confirmed that “the response to the EU ICZM Recommendation is part of a slow, but on-going process towards more integrated coastal planning and management”.

However, non-traditional actions like ICZM are still unfamiliar to people and frequently resisted. Locals, especially in Mediterranean, want to have massive tourism development, which gives quick profit. Inappropriate policies, inappropriate management schemes and infrastructure failed to make sustainable development an effective option. It can be stated or concluded that “our present approach to managing our Coastal Zone resource needs a much improved, interactive link between the best interests of natural-resource system and the society that benefits from it” (SPICOSA network)

A major requirement for the successful implementation of an integrated coastal zone management approach is to ensure the effective participation of citizens throughout the decision making process. All citizens, according to Aarhus Convention, have the right for free access to environmental information and data. Authorities are obliged to provide the infrastructure and the support for their participation in the decision-making process, which will define the future of each coastal area and the development model that is going to be implemented.

This is the context that led to the organisation of the workshop “Integrated Coastal Zone Management: from theory to action”. The workshop will take place in Nicosia, the 17th April 2008 at Fulbright Centre.

PROGRAM:

09:00- 09:30: Registrations – refreshments

09:30- 09:50: Welcome speeches

  1.  Dr. Jaco Cilliers, Programme Manager,UNDP-ACT
  2.  Meral Akinci, KAYAD Community Centre
  3.  Xenia Loizidou, AKTI Project and Research Centre, coordinator of Network for a Sustainable Future

09:50 – 11:10: 1st Round Table:
Integrated Coastal Zone Management: the way through sustainable coastal development
Key speaker: Dr Alan Pickaver, Head of Policy Unit of EUCC (European Union of Coastal Conservation):

European Union ICZM Indicators: How well are we implementing ICZM in Europe? And what effect is it having?

Panel: (5 minutes suggestion by each member of the panel) 

  1.  Dr. Jaco Cilliers, Program Manager,UNDP-ACT
  2. Michael Loizides, Environmental Engineer- Chairman of Environmental Committee of ETEK- coordinator CESF: the role of engineers in ICZM implementation
  3. Meral Akinci- KAYAD: the role of civil society in sustainable development
  4. Andreas Demetropoulos, Marine Biologist- ex-Director Fisheries Department: Marine Biodiversity issues in CAMP (Coastal Area Management Program- UNEP)
  5. Hristina Kontaxi, Mediterranean SOS Network, Greece: ICZM in Greece and civic engagement

Open discussion with the participation of the audience
Facilitator: Xenia I. Loizidou –Coastal Engineer, AKTI Project and Research Centre, ICZM Ambassador of ENCORA Network.

11:10 – 11:40: Coffee break

11:40 – 13:00: 2nd Round Table:
Sustainability: the role of environmental stakeholders (mass media, NGOs, local authorities, schools…..) and the necessity for cooperative work through networking.
Key speaker: Dr George Kassinis, Associate Professor, Univercity of Cyprus
Critical environmental stakeholders and social networks for sustainable development

Panel: (5 minutes suggestion by each member of the panel)

  1. Nic Jarraud, UNDP-ACT: The Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum
  2. Kriton Arsenis- Head of Policy Unit, Hellenic Society of Environment and Heritage- Greece: Network for the sustainable development of Aegian islands, Greece
  3. Michael Ierides- Director CYMEPA: eco schools: a way to promote sustainable development
  4. Kyriaki Demetriou- AKTI: the Aarhus Convention in Cyprus and the potential given to active public participation
  5. Dr Ibrahim Ozejder, journalist, Ass University Professor: the role of MME in promoting sustainable development

Open discussion with the participation of the audience
Facilitator: Michael I. Loizides – Environmental Engineer- Chairman of Environmental Committee of ETEK- coordinator of Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum

13:00: Cocktail Lunch


Organizers: AKTI Project and Research Centre
Supported by the organizations: CYMEPA, KAYAD , AGEM

For information and registration, you are welcome to contact AKTI’s office, tel 22458485, fax: 22458486, e-mail: akti@akti.org.cy, website: www.akti.org.cy.

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The workshop forms part of the 4-day CESF Plenary, 14 – 18 April 2008, at the Fulbright Centre, Nicosia Cyprus. CESF, ie Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum is an isl    and-wide environmental platform supported by UNDP-ACT). The workshop is organised within the framework of the program “Network for a sustainable future” which froms part of Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum.

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