Collaborative Knowledge Exchange Platform for Land-Sea Integration (COASTAL)

COASTAL supports strategic coastal-rural planning by problem-driven engagement of stakeholders, including administrations, NGOs and business entrepreneurs. These interacted to identify problems and opportunities, design mental models for holistic solutions, and test scientific concepts. What makes COASTAL different is the processing into evidence-based policy models, increasing the practical value business and policy recommendations. A well-balanced combination of tools is used to take the short- and long-term impacts of policy decisions and business investments on coastal and rural development into account.

The socio-economic impact of this ambitious project should not be underestimated. At the local, regional and national scale the implementation of EU regulatory frameworks aimed at mitigation and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, sustainable food production and fair use of increasingly scarce or uncertain resources such as water, space and energy. Fragmentation of knowledge, data and administrative responsibilities is known to impede the effectiveness and efficiency of environmental decision making. This is particularly true for complex systems involving multiple socio-environmental interactions such as the coastal regions participating in COASTAL.

Systems Thinking and modelling is worth the effort as it helps identify opportunities for economic development which are overlooked otherwise, spot tipping points and key policy levers, and avoid unanticipated problems. A general, very positive observation made during the final event was the strong commitment expressed by all project partners to continue and apply the COASTAL approach in their work and activities, despite of the challenging trajectory followed to familiarize themselves with the systems thinking methodology. Phrased otherwise: the project has changed their way of thinking and has a significant impact on their future work and that of their stakeholders.

A durable legacy of the project is ensured through the Knowledge Exchange Platform, linking experts, stakeholders, administrations and key actors with an interest in land-sea interactions and synergistic solutions to problems.