The HELCOM system of a vision, strategic goals and ecological objectives: implementing an ecosystem approach to the management of human activities in the Baltic Sea

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermanni Backer ◽  
Juha-Markku Leppänen
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Strategic Goals ◽  
Ecological Objectives ◽  
The Baltic

scholarly journals Human impacts and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Reckermann ◽  
Anders Omstedt ◽  
Tarmo Soomere ◽  
Juris Aigars ◽  
Naveed Akhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
The Other ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
General Description ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Coastal environments, in particular heavily populated semi-enclosed marginal seas and coasts like the Baltic Sea region, are stongly affected by human activities. A multitude of human impacts, including climate change, affects the different compartments of the environment, and these effects interact with each other. As part of the Baltic Earth Assessment Reports (BEAR), we present an inventory and discussion of different human-induced factors and processes affecting the environment of the Baltic Sea region, and their interrelations. Some are naturally occurring and modified by human activities (i.e. climate change, coastal processes, hypoxia, acidification, submarine groundwater discharges, marine ecosystems, non-indigenous species, land use and land cover), some are completely human-induced (i.e. agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, river regulations, offshore wind farms, shipping, chemical contamination, dumped warfare agents, marine litter and microplastics, tourism, coastal management), and they are all interrelated to different degrees. We present a general description and analysis of the state of knowledge on these interrelations. Our main insight is that climate change has an overarching, integrating impact on all of the other factors and can be interpreted as a background effect, which has different implications for the other factors. Impacts on the environment and the human sphere can be roughly allocated to anthropogenic drivers such as food production, energy production, transport, industry and economy. We conclude that a sound management and regulation of human activities must be implemented in order to use and keep the environments and ecosystems of the Baltic Sea region sustainably in a good shape. This must balance the human needs, which exert tremendous pressures on the systems, as humans are the overwhelming driving force for almost all changes we see. The findings from this inventory of available information and analysis of the different factors and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region can largely be transferred to other comparable marginal and coastal seas in the world.

scholarly journals Appropriate Scale and Level in Marine Spatial Planning – Management Perspectives in the Baltic Sea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aron Westholm
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Marine Spatial Planning ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Transboundary Cooperation ◽  
Maritime Spatial Planning ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Eu

The ecosystem approach has become a common tool in environmental governance over the last decade. Within the EU context this is most clearly accentuated through the adoption of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning, that both include requirements for member states to apply the approach. This paper examines how the EU countries in the Baltic Sea Regionhave organised their marine spatial planning (MSP) in terms management levels and geographic delimitations. The examination shows that there is no consistent interpretation of what the appropriate level of management, or ecosystem scale, is. These findings are used to inform a discussion on how the ecosystem approach has been applied in the countries around the Baltic Sea, and how this may affect thepotential of transboundary cooperation initiatives.

scholarly journals The Good, the Bad and the Future: A SWOT Analysis of the Ecosystem Approach to Governance in the Baltic Sea Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10539
Author(s):  
Savitri Jetoo ◽  
Varvara Lahtinen
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Good Ecological Status

The ecosystem approach has been used extensively as a guiding principle in water policies of the Baltic Sea Region since the 1970s. In addition to its operationalization as a management framework in this region, it also has expansive theoretical underpinnings. However, despite extensive literature on this approach, there has not yet been any systematic assessment of the internal and external factors that influence its implementation. This kind of assessment could form the basis for improved thinking around the concept and better implementation actions. As such, this article presents a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the ecosystem approach in the Baltic Sea Region by using content analysis on Baltic Sea documents. This study found that key strengths of the principle are its interdisciplinary focus and its acceptance as a framework for conservation, whilst resource intensiveness and its operational complexity are key weaknesses. The SWOT analysis revealed that a key opportunity in the external environment is the ease of alignment with other policies whilst the key external threat is the difficulty integrating disciplines. This study showed that with a streamlined allocation of resources, more stakeholder engagement through capacity building and political leadership, the ecosystem approach could facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge pooling to achieve a good ecological status of the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Human impacts and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-80
Author(s):  
Marcus Reckermann ◽  
Anders Omstedt ◽  
Tarmo Soomere ◽  
Juris Aigars ◽  
Naveed Akhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
The Other ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
General Description ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Coastal environments, in particular heavily populated semi-enclosed marginal seas and coasts like the Baltic Sea region, are strongly affected by human activities. A multitude of human impacts, including climate change, affect the different compartments of the environment, and these effects interact with each other. As part of the Baltic Earth Assessment Reports (BEAR), we present an inventory and discussion of different human-induced factors and processes affecting the environment of the Baltic Sea region, and their interrelations. Some are naturally occurring and modified by human activities (i.e. climate change, coastal processes, hypoxia, acidification, submarine groundwater discharges, marine ecosystems, non-indigenous species, land use and land cover), some are completely human-induced (i.e. agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, river regulations, offshore wind farms, shipping, chemical contamination, dumped warfare agents, marine litter and microplastics, tourism, and coastal management), and they are all interrelated to different degrees. We present a general description and analysis of the state of knowledge on these interrelations. Our main insight is that climate change has an overarching, integrating impact on all of the other factors and can be interpreted as a background effect, which has different implications for the other factors. Impacts on the environment and the human sphere can be roughly allocated to anthropogenic drivers such as food production, energy production, transport, industry and economy. The findings from this inventory of available information and analysis of the different factors and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region can largely be transferred to other comparable marginal and coastal seas in the world.

scholarly journals Analysis of ice conditions in the Baltic Sea and in the Puck Bay

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Czesław Dyrcz
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Average Intensity ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Time Limits ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Puck Bay

The paper presents results of research based on analysis of ice conditions in the Baltic Sea and in the Puck Bay. Analyses are concerned on the last century the maximum ice extents in the Baltic Sea (1915–2015) and ice conditions in the Puck Bay (1986–2005). Ice conditions in the Baltic Sea are generally of average intensity and depend mainly on the type of winters (mild, average/normal and severe), however, the Baltic bays and gulfs cover the sea ice almost every year. The average ice extent in the Baltic Sea during typical winters, the ice extent in the Baltic Sea during winters in years from 1915 to 2015 and the average time limits the occurrence of the first ice, number of days with ice, ice thickness, terms the disappearance of the last ice in the Puck Bay together with examples of ice forms are presented in this paper. The phenomenon of ice have a significant impact on human activities in the sea, have an effect on weather and climate, plant and animal life, fishery and ports activities and the safety of navigation.

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