Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Spatial Planning in Coastal Zone Spatial Planning in Coastal Zone and and Maritime AreasMaritime Areas

Vjosa – Narta pilot projectVjosa – Narta pilot project

ECAT TiranaECAT Tirana

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Basic Facts about the pilot projectLocated to the south of Albania.The area represents an important lagoon in the coast (Narta lagoon)Main uses are agriculture, salt production, fishing, tourism

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Interested GroupsInterested GroupsVlora municipality, district council, Narta communityMinistry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration, Ministry of Public Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications, Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, inter-ministerial Council for Territorial Development.Non-governmental organizations active in local development, tourism promotion, environmental and cultural heritage protectionBusiness community (salt production, fisheries, industry, tourismInhabitants of coastal area

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Workshops and meetingsWorkshops and meetings

In the first national Spatial Planning and Spatial Planning and Maritime Areas Maritime Areas workshop the PlanCoast project was presented to different target groups & stakeholders, including central and local planning authorities, representatives from universities and research institutions.

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Meetings with expertsMeetings with expertsSeveral round table and seminars of experts & stakeholders have been organized by ECAT Tirana in order to: assess availability and quality of datapresent findings draw conclusions

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Workshops and meetingsWorkshops and meetingsWith the kind assistance and excellent presentation of Mr. Bernhard Heinrichs , ECAT Tirana organized on Sep. 6, 2007, wide participation national seminar on Spatial Planning within ICZM in Spatial Planning within ICZM in AlbaniaAlbania, to introduce principles and practices of spatial planning.

This very successful participatory seminar maximized the understanding of the links between spatial planning and ICZM. In addition it showed that most of the stakeholders & experts involved acknowledged the conflicts in the area and were able to formulate them clearly

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Activities completedActivities completedA review of the literature, data, and documents was carried out. A review & updating of the previous management plan of the area, completed three years ago, was taken into consideration.

A methodology was developed that set out the principles and methods for the implementation of the pilot project

The methodology was based on the following principles: - a sound management of scientific data - the ecosystem approach - the participatory approach

It defined a model framework for local ICZM plans providing the opportunity to:

-update the data of management plan-generate the new data for the area -revise the certain principals for the management of the area

using the tools and concepts of spatial planning

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Activities completedActivities completed

A questionnaire was prepared to

establish how far offshore and inland the boundaries for the area should lie

whether there are specific studies, surveys and analysis to be carried out in the short term to support Narta planning

establish a rank for the functions defined for the area

The questionnaire asked to list three main problems for Narta Lagoon management and respective solutions and stakeholders that should be involved in planning process

The questionnaire was completed by local stakeholders along with the group of related most qualified Albanian experts.

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Activities completedActivities completedReports were prepared to understand processes that impact on the area

Shehu, A., E. DindiShehu, A., E. Dindi. Some Considerations of the Factors Affecting the Evolution of Vjosa-Narta Coastline.Lame, S.Lame, S. Dynamics of the Coastal Zone and Natural and Human

Impacts.Lushaj, ShLushaj, Sh. Identification of Mutual Movement Land-Sea and

Degradation Phenomena. Planning of Measurement related to Development and Protection of Land Space of the area.Eftimi, REftimi, R. Ground Water.Leka, ShLeka, Sh. Spatial Planning Vision for the Narta Region.Beqiraj S.Beqiraj S. Lagoon and Marine Benthos.

The findings of the reports formed the basis for a single report that set out a vision for the area, identifying potential sites for appropriate development and uses.

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Functions Ranking List of the AreaFunctions Ranking List of the AreaFunctionsFunctions WeightWeightTourism and recreation Tourism and recreation 33Habitat for wildlifeHabitat for wildlife 2.662.66Shoreline anchoring and dissipation of Shoreline anchoring and dissipation of erosive forceserosive forces

2.52.5

Extraction of mineral resources (salt)Extraction of mineral resources (salt) 2.52.5

Urban developmentUrban development 2.52.5Flood storage and desynchronizationFlood storage and desynchronization 2.252.25Sediment trappingSediment trapping 2.252.25Food chain supportFood chain support 2.252.25Heritage valueHeritage value 2.252.25Ground water rechargeGround water recharge 22Ground water dischargeGround water discharge 22Habitat for fisheries/fishingHabitat for fisheries/fishing 22Harvest of commercial timber and Harvest of commercial timber and cropscrops

22

GrazingGrazing 1.371.37Nutrient retention and removalNutrient retention and removal 1.31.3

According to the impact and the importance on the ecosystem, a list of functions was prepared taking into consideration that the wetlands occupy the most significant portion of the area.

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Vjosa Narta is a highly dynamic area where the shoreline has often changed dramatically. A notable displacement of 310 m has been observed during the last few decades.

The superposition of the data extracted from maps of the years 1938, 1985, or 2005 and satellite images produced the temporal and spatial variation of the shoreline.

Facts & FindingsFacts & Findings

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

In this particular coastal area sediments are loose and considerably thick, therefore the action of the waves on them is significant

Geologically, the region continues to subside causing the sea to encroach upon the land.

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Some conflicts of uses in the areaSome conflicts of uses in the area

Reduction of the sediments due to creation of reservoirs

Aggregate extraction along rivers, beaches and dunes

Cars on the beach-beach as a parking area

Cows on the beach-beach as the grazing area

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Dunes are few kilometers long, 30 m wide, and 3 to 4 m high running parallel to the shoreline directly inland from the beach. Illegal on the shore are destructing the natural defenses of vegetation of the dunes

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Sea encroaching upon the land

Coastal erosion

The process of salinization has been increasing during the past 20 years..

Some processes on Some processes on the coast taken into the coast taken into considerationconsideration

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

The area shows a variety of natural wetland habitats. The lagoon is renowned and ecologically important as a breeding site for a number of bird species. A review of the literature concerning the wetland habitats was carried out.

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Follow up activities planned

Organization of the national conference to present results and conclusions of the plan coast project to present SP and ICZM.

Presenting public bodies with the recommendations for using spatial planning for future distribution of uses in space.

Ensuring that lessons learned from this exercise be applicable across regional space.

Conclusions

Final Meeting Ravenna 27.03.08

Next time we would do different....Next time we would do different....

- more specialists involved for preliminary complete area profiling- direct community involvement from the beginning in functional analysis- more direct integration with data collection and management by means of GIS toolsWe recommend other planners that... ICZM approach for local plans should be adopted also in absence of regional/national

guidelines Discussion points Comparing with the PlanCoast Handbook messages:•         What has been confirmedEverything (but the below reported) •         What has not been confirmedMajor importance to ICZM local approach •         New suggestions? (specific for my country, etc.) Put attention (and resources, both human and financial) on:data collection and management (GIS coordination at central, regional and local levels)general legal framework, aiming to integration between different government levels,

inserting ICZM approach for all coastal regions planning tools.