COAST

Title

COAST – Sustainable Resilient Coasts

Start Date

2020

End Date

2022

Funding Body

Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme

Coordinator

Agricultural University of Iceland, Iceland

Research Parters

Agricultural University of Iceland, Iceland

University College Cork, MaREI, Ireland

Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Ireland

Project Partners

Mayo County Council – Planning and Economic Development, Ireland

Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, Northern Ireland

Principal Investigators

Dr. Fiona Cawkwell

Project Manager

Jessica Giannoumis

Research Assistant

Dr. Samuel Hayes

Research Area

Coastal Heritage, Coastal Management, SMART Blue Growth, Sustainable Development Goals

Website

COAST

Introduction

The objectives of COAST are to develop a Sustainable Resilient Coasts Toolbox for local authorities, focusing on SMART Blue Growth, which is based on principles of Sustainability, Mitigation, Planning, Adaptation, Resilience and Transition. The Toolbox will include practical guidance to support local authorities in the protection, promotion, and development of the unique natural and cultural heritage of the coastal zone within and beyond the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme Area.

Aim

The aim of COAST is to build a governance toolbox that focuses on stakeholder engagement, guidance for local authorities on the use of drone technology to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at the Coast and produce Coastal Sustainability Action Plans highlighting the opportunities for smart blue growth.

COAST will identify who needs to be involved and how to engage stakeholders to support an organization or community towards a particular change.
COAST will explore the practical applications of inexpensive drone technologies to support the sustainable development of the coastal zone. Drones provide critical information about the state of natural and built environments, and thus can be used to monitor coastal change, provide baseline information about habitats and land use, and measure the effectiveness of management practices. Drones enable coastal managers to collect a large amount of information about an area quickly, for example, in the aftermath of a storm, and also in remote areas that are difficult or dangerous to access. Given the recent rapid reduction in the cost of the technology and the expansion of consumer equipment, local authorities can benefit from understanding how they can be used for practical applications in coastal zones. Three key actions will be undertaken as part of this work:

(1) A literature review and survey of local authorities in the partner regions to identify potential applications of drone technology to support sustainable coastal management

(2) A case study in County Mayo (Ireland) on the use of drone technology for a seaweed resource assessment

(3) A case study on Rathlin Island (Northern Ireland) on the use of drone technology for digital heritage protection, preservation, and promotion.

The outputs of these activities will feed into a project report featuring guidance for local authorities on the use of drone technology for supporting the SDGs at the coast. Other outputs include an academic journal publication and supplementary video materials.

COAST will produce four Coastal Sustainability Action Plans highlighting opportunities in ‘Smart Blue Growth’. These will be in the local demonstration sites – Westfjord (Iceland), Hailuoto (Finland), Rathlin Island (Northern Ireland), and Mayo (Ireland). SMART is a practical mitigation, planning and communications tool based on the principles of Sustainability, Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience, and Transition.

Work Packages

WPM: Management (partner responsible: All)
WPT1: Framing and Understanding the Coastal Region (partner responsible: Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust)
WPT2: Technological Innovation for Sustainable Development (partner responsible: University College Cork)
WPT3: Pathways to Sustainable Development (partner responsible: Oulu University of Applied Sciences)
WPC: Communications (partner responsible: Mayo County Council)