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New publication: Integrating climate change in ocean planning
News | 19 May 2020 New publication: Integrating climate change in ocean planning

A new study on the importance of integrating climate change effects into marine spatial planning, to promote sustainable ocean use, was published this month in the journal Nature Sustainability. "Few existing marine spatial plans consider climate change effects explicitly. This is a critical oversight in a rapidly changing world. In the article we highlight and point ways forward, based on real examples around the globe, to support sustainable ocean planning”. The study was led by Catarina Frazão Santos, member of the Environmental Economics Knowledge Center, together with a group of internationally renowned scientists. 

The full article can be accessed here: http://rdcu.be/b3WCS

Abstract: The acceleration of global warming and increased vulnerability of marine social-ecological systems affect the benefits provided by the ocean. Spatial planning of marine areas is vital to balance multiple human demands and ensure a healthy ocean, while supporting global ocean goals. To thrive in a changing ocean though, marine spatial planning (MSP) must effectively integrate climate change. By reviewing existing literature on MSP and climate change, we explore the links between them and with ocean sustainability, highlight management challenges, and identify potential pathways to guide action towards the effective integration of climate impacts in MSP.

Image: “A crowded ocean under a changing climate” Designed by the visual artist Bas Kohle

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