Abstract
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) emerged in the early 2000s as a planning method for managing use of marine spaces and resources while safeguarding marine ecosystems. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO defines MSP as a “public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that have been specified through a political process.” Today, more than 70 countries have commenced MSP processes and Canada is in the midst of MSP for five bioregions, three of which are located in Atlantic areas. Intended as a holistic planning process to address multiple, sometimes competing, interests in marine spaces, MSP is an evolving method with widely recognized limitations that will benefit from research insights. Critiques of MSP have highlighted weak local participation due to top-down planning activities and an over-emphasis on industrial sector interests compared to other sectors. This poster presents an overview of research about MSP in Atlantic Canada being conducted by the Dalhousie University-based research group in the OFI module on Social License and Planning for Coastal Communities. This research draws on the knowledge and experience of practitioners in the region set in the context of MSP globally. By pursuing questions about participatory community involvement, the place of municipal governments in MSP processes, and local community decision making processes, this research aims to develop a framework for enabling the engagement of local-level planning expertise in MSP and strengthening the viability of plans generated by MSP initiatives.
Citation
MacDonald, B. H., Manuel, P., DeVidi, M., Martinez Calderon, D., & Szujo, J. (2022). Adaptive research in marine spatial planning: A holistic process with challenges. Ocean Frontier 2022 Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 17-22 May 2022.
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