Promoting co-evolution of human activities and natural system for the development of sustainable coastal and maritime tourism (CO-EVOLVE)

The project aims at analysing and promoting the co-evolution of human activities and natural systems in touristic coastal areas, facing effects due to climate change and allowing sustainable development of touristic activities, in coexistence and synergy with other uses of the coastal and marine space and resources, based on the principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP).

CO-EVOLVE recognises that a key challenge for sustainable coastal and maritime tourism development is the strengthening of cooperation among regions and the joint development and transferring of approaches, tools, guidelines and best practices. It brings together an analysis at the Mediterranean scale of threats and enabling factors for sustainable tourism with local studies on seven representative Pilot Areas.

CO-EVOLVE's main objectives are to:

• Analyse threats (including climate change, morphological stability, urbanisation, pollution, conflicts of use, etc.) and enabling factors (coastal and ecosystems protection, water cycle and depuration, transport and accessibility, and legislation and governance) for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean;
• Define and quantify tourism sustainability in the Mediterranean; and
• Develop ICZM/MSP action plans for sustainable tourism development in pilot areas and transfer at Med scale.