On November 11-12, the 5th Baltic MSP Forum “Navigate Planning Through Changes” took place in Riga, bringing together the maritime spatial planning and coastal development community from across the Baltic Sea region. This year’s forum was special as it served as the closing conference of the Baltic Sea2Land project, providing an opportunity to present the project results, discuss the experience gained, and explore new opportunities for sustainable maritime spatial planning and coastal development.

Themes accompanying the forum

The two intensive days of the forum were devoted to the most pressing issues in the Baltic region:

  • Increasing the resilience and vitality of coastal communities
  • Integrating ecosystem services into maritime spatial planning (MSP)
  • Improving coastal accessibility
  • Climate change challenges in municipalities
  • Development of blue-green infrastructure
  • Multi-use and sustainable blue economy opportunities
  • Macro-regional and multi-level governance
  • Security in the Baltic Sea

The highlight of the event was Sea2Land Navigator, an innovative planning tool designed to help integrate ecosystem services into maritime spatial planning and strengthen the links between maritime and land planning.

Practical impact of discussions and exchange of experience

The forum featured intensive discussions between maritime spatial planning experts, policymakers, academia, non-governmental organizations, and municipal representatives. Participants shared their experiences, presented good practices, and discussed new opportunities for sustainable development in the Baltic region. The discussions emphasized that close cooperation between institutions, countries, and sectors is the key to successful maritime spatial and coastal planning.

Cooperation and the international context

The Baltic MSP Forum once again demonstrated that international cooperation and a macro-regional approach are essential for addressing the challenges of maritime and coastal planning in the Baltic Sea region.

Participants discussed how to integrate ecosystem services, how to increase the resilience and vitality of coastal communities, and how to use maritime and coastal spaces effectively to achieve sustainable blue economy goals.

Final conference and future prospects

The final conference of the Baltic Sea2Land project provided an opportunity to summarize the project’s achievements, present the Sea2Land Navigator, and promote new ideas and initiatives for the sustainability of the region.

The event gave rise to new partnerships and discussions that may have a long-term impact on maritime and coastal planning in the Baltic Sea region.

We would like to thank the organizers and participants

The organizers – the VASAB Secretariat and the Latvian Government, together with the partners of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program project Baltic Sea2Land – created a platform for meaningful discussions and exchange of experiences. Participants emphasized the benefits of the forum in strengthening links between different institutions, countries, and sectors, which is necessary to achieve long-term sustainability of the Baltic Sea region’s maritime and coastal areas.

Source: Klaipėdos Regionas