Development of a Protocol for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study and Preliminary Results in a Coastal Industrial Area in the Eastern Mediterranean
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere;
- SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all;
- SDG 8: Ensure opportunities for decent work and economic growth;
- SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation;
- SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts;
- SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development;
- SDG 15: The protection of biodiversity by the reduction of population pressure;
- SDG 17: Partnerships of organizations and institutions at a global scale to achieve the goals.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management
2. The Study Area
- Shipbuilding: A leading industrial activity in the Elefsis Gulf. Shipyards are one of the major installations that operate in the coastal zone, contributing to a high extent to the local GDP. The increasing growth of the shipbuilding activities may impose greater pressure on the local ecosystem;
- Industry: The study area presents intense industrial activity along the coastal zone. Most of the pollution is concentrated in the northern part of the Gulf, which receives effluents from the industrial plants (e.g., oil refineries, shipyards, cement, and steelworks) and from the major industrial area of the Thriassio plain, a short distance from the sea [21,22]. Among the various industrial installations within the coastal zone of the Elefsis Gulf, both petroleum and cement industrial plants stand out. The prevalence of heavy metals in the Gulf of Elefsis is attributed to the intense industrial and shipbuilding activity [23]. An additional source of pollution in the past decades has been the outflow of urban wastewater from the plants servicing the city of Athens [21];
- Marine traffic: Being mainly a trade port, the Elefsis Gulf is one of the areas where most marine accidents with regard to pollution diffusion occur [24]. Especially regarding the marine traffic in the port of Elefsis, the mean annual activity in the last decade rose to 379 vessels, and to 530.930 tn of traded loads [25]. The occurrence of oil spills is one of the most common marine pollution incidents in the area [24];
- Tourism: The local tourism ecosystem is vulnerable against environmental and economic degradation. Indicators are used as the tools to define the coastal zone’s capability to be transformed into a sustainable touristic destination, stabilizing the imbalance between tourism and industrial activity.
The Natural Environment of Lake Koumoundourou
3. The IES Protocol
4. Implementation of the IES Protocol in the Coastal Zone of the Elefsis Gulf: Preliminary Results
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Step | Description |
---|---|
1 | Creation of a table with goals and their indicators. |
2 | Creation of a list of the ecosystem services and the implementations of the DPSIR model. |
3 | Mapping of the results from the previous steps. |
Goal | Indicator | Measurement |
---|---|---|
Natural&cultural identity | Area of protected land | Area in km2 |
Alterations in protected habitats and species | Number and population of species | |
Coastal economy | Employment | Employment percentage in each sector |
Port traffic | Number of vessels | |
Volume of goods | ||
Intensity of tourism | Number of overnight stays | |
Climate change | Sea level rise | Stormy days |
Environmental health | Atmospheric pollution | Concentration of micropollutants |
Oil pollution | Volume of oil spills | |
Carbon footprint | Energy consumption | Kw consumed by each sector |
Sustainable use of land | Built up land | Area built in km2 |
Water quality | Ecological and chemical status | Measured by the responsible authorities |
Bathing water | According to the EU Directive | |
Nutrients in coastal water | Concentrations of P and N | |
Social wellbeing | Local and cultural identity | Participation in festivals and social events |
Museum’s visitors | ||
Public health and security | Crime | Number of recorded incidents |
Provision of public health | Number of health infrastructures |
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Pournara, A.; Sakellariadou, F. Development of a Protocol for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study and Preliminary Results in a Coastal Industrial Area in the Eastern Mediterranean. Sustainability 2022, 14, 10323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610323
Pournara A, Sakellariadou F. Development of a Protocol for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study and Preliminary Results in a Coastal Industrial Area in the Eastern Mediterranean. Sustainability. 2022; 14(16):10323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610323
Chicago/Turabian StylePournara, Anthi, and Fani Sakellariadou. 2022. "Development of a Protocol for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study and Preliminary Results in a Coastal Industrial Area in the Eastern Mediterranean" Sustainability 14, no. 16: 10323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610323