PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Diversity of coastal systems is affected directly and indirectly by numerous human activities concentrated at the coastal margins: tourism, recreation, fishing, transportation, mining and energy industries, domestic and industrial waste disposal. While defining and understanding that the environmental issues associated with coastal zones is crucial, the need to provide an effective executive structure for management is equally important. The European Commission has so far initiated and supported a number of actions addressing the environmental problems of the Union's coastal zones. It has been revealed that the main constraint to effectively face these problems is the lack of appropriate administrative mechanisms, enabling concerted positive actions. The Commission's concern on this matter was expressed by the Communication from the European Commission to the Council and European Parliament on the integrated management of coastal zones (1995). On the basis of this analysis, the Demonstration Programme on Integrated Management of Coastal Zones (ICZM) was set up. The purpose of the demonstration programme was to identify concrete actions that need to be taken for the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, to discuss these widely and to prepare for their adoption. What needed to be demonstrated is that improved co-ordination of parties influencing coastal zones evolution leads to sustainable development. The demonstration programme was composed of several demonstration projects implemented in target coastal areas around Europe. These projects would provide the raw material, based on which, the Commission would back its proposals for a European Strategy on Integrated Coastal Zone Management. In Greece, six of these demonstration projects were carried out. The Strymonikos project is one of these demonstration projects. The coastal zone of Strymonikos Gulf is rich in natural resources, landscapes and cultural features. Moreover, the Strymonikos Gulf is one of the richest fishing grounds in the North Aegean. The population of the coastal zone is around 15,360 people but reaches 150,000 during summer time. The land area of the zone is 2,625 ha and the marine area on 8,135 ha, that is a total of 10,760 ha, the coastline is 123 km. Within the project zone, three areas covering a total of 730 ha have been proposed to be included in the "Natura 2000" network. Human activities in the area include mass tourism, house construction, fishing, aquaculture, agriculture, silviculture and mining. These activities are not always practised wisely leading to increasing environmental problems, such as pollution and landscape deterioration, which will become by far more serious in the next decades, as a result of the expected increase of tourists from the Eastern European countries. Also, mining activities in Chalkidiki are changing and an industry for gold extraction is going to be created in the area, posing additional threats to the environment. The Egnatia highway which will connect the Ionian Sea with Asia is now under construction. Finally, it must be considered that River Strymon may carry pollutants from its Bulgarian and Greek watershed into Strymonikos Gulf. The effective protection of the environment as well as the integrated management of the area is limited by: (a) the complications and occasionally conflicting responsibilities of the bodies involved in the management, (b) the fragmented layout of land utilisation and ( c) the inadequate environmental appreciation in all levels of decision making, which is principally due to lack of knowledge.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the project was to demonstrate the benefits of coordinated action for the conservation of coastal zones, by promoting the concerted management of the Strymonikos Gulf coastal zone. It was part of the wider EU demonstration programme on Integrated Management of Coastal Zone. It was expected that the project would result in better planning of management strategies and programmes of environmental protection,in the identification of sustainable practices, in the development of cooperative instruments, in the promotion of social dialogue, in better regulation enforcement and in raised awareness of the values of the zone. The project had several tasks: 1. Description: This task would include a detailed description of the project area, regarding its abiotic, biotic, social, economic and administrative features. 2. Monitoring: A monitoring programme of key parameters of the zone's marine environment would be conducted, in order to diagnose possible threats and to propose measures for arresting environmental degradation. 3. Analysis: Based on the results of the two previous tasks, this task would involve the identification of causes of environmental problems, problem ranking, evaluation of trends of environmental change, setting conservation and management aims, proposing specific management measures. 4. Concertation: A coordination scheme in the form of a Steering Committee would be established, involving bodies responsible for the project zone's management, in order to set conservation and management aims, to decide on priority measures and to coordinate their implementation. 5. Implementation of measures: The main objective of this task would be the establishment of an Information Centre for Coastal Zones to support environmental awareness activities, to promote cooperation and to alert authorities on emerging environmental threats. 6. Environmental awareness and dissemination of knowledge: Publication of awareness material, presentation of the project and of the EU policy regarding the sustainable use of coastal zone resources, organisation of conferences on concerted sustainable management of coastal zones, media work and technical publications of the results of the project.
RESULTS
The results of the various tasks are described here below: Task 1. Description The environmental (in the terrestrial and the marine area), social and economic characteristics were studied in the area of the project. The result of this was a publication of 474 pages entitled “Description of the Coastal zone of Strymonikos and lerissos Gulfs” which is accompanied by a publication of 69 pages, entitled “Inventory of socioeconomic, physical planning and environmental features of the coastal zone of Strymonikos Gulf”. The publication includes 3 maps that concern the terrestrial management of the area, protected areas, infrastructure and administrative affiliation. Task 2. Monitoring The localization of possible threats for the marine environment is necessary in order to propose measures for the containment of the environmental downgrading. In order to diagnose possible threats for the marine environment, a monitoring program of the most important physicochemical and biological parameters of the marine environment was organised so as to estimate the levels of eutrophism. Namely, at specific stations, the physicochemical parameters of the water column were recorded on a monthly basis, and every two months some key parameters of the Posidonia meadows were recorded as well. The results of this task are given in a third, separate edition of 68 pages entitled «Action 2: Monitoring. Monitoring of abiotic and biotic parameters in Strymonikos and Ierissos Gulfs». Task 3. Analysis The results of this task were based on the results of the two previous tasks (Description and Monitoring) and comprise a 264-page report whose title is «Task 3. Analysis: Evaluation of the current status of the coastal zone of Strymonikos and Ierissos Gulfs and management measures». The report was distributed to the bodies relating to the management of the area in the hope that it would contribute to the integrated management of the coastal zone. Task 4. Concertation The formulation and operation of a Coordinated Scheme for the Management of the Coastal Zone (CS) with representatives from public and local authorities, constituted an essential step towards the achievement of the project's aims. This committee started its activities in May 1997 with the participation of representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, and Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace, as well as representatives from the two Districts and 4 Prefectures within the boundaries of which the project zone lies. The Steering Committee supervised all the activities of the project and collaborated closely with the project team by briefing on problems and necessary actions, by bringing forward certain problems of the users of the coastal zone, by operating as a control agency for the better use of coastal resources, or even by offering financial help to the project. However, despite the fact that the Committee supported both the tasks of the project and the ICZM procedure, there were some problems that should be pointed out. Since there was no specific law and/or legal management body for the coastal zone, the Steering Committee was not based on any specific legal framework, although the participating bodies did have management, planning and legislating authorities. Moreover, cooperation between different agencies was not defined by any law. Therefore, there was no adequate legal framework, within which the Steering Committee could continue to operate after the end of the project. Task 5. Implementation of measures and Task 6. Environmental awareness and dissemination of knowledge As well as the publication of informative material and information actions on the values of the coastal zones, the «Information Centre for the Coastal Zone of the Strymonikos Gulf and the Gulf of lerissos» was established. It was the first Information Centre for coastal zones in Greece. Themes related to coastal zones, such as life in the sea, marine plants and animals, human impacts etc, are presented with texts, photos, relief models, aquaria, stands with seashells, sponges etc, as well as with a film that was created on the ecological and cultural values of the area. The information given is based on data collected in the frame of the project. The establishment of the Information Centre was supported by local authorities in terms of financial help and manpower and by several donations. It helped to increase the confidence of local people with those involved in the project and, thus, public response was very positive. Complaints regarding environmental problems were received and the authorities were alerted about environmental threats. Seventeen months after the opening of the IC, more than 2,500 people had the opportunity to visit the Centre. Moreover, it became part of the environmental education programme of the Ministry of Education and several environmental education school projects were prepared. In order to ensure its operation after the end of the project, the Information Centre with all its equipment will belong to the local .authorities, so that the environmental awareness activities may be continued.
