Abstract
The applied Indicator-based Sustainability Assessment Tool (InSAT) serves as a user-friendly computer-aided tool to support coastal and marine management. Focus is on sustainable coastal development, including environmental, social, and economic aspects. We apply the InSAT to assess the changes in sustainability before, during, and after the implementation of management measures. The assessments address three case studies in Lithuania: the construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal in Klaipeda, the renewal of the port of Sventoji, and the opening of a beach in Nida. The application of core and optional indicators highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the management measures. We analyze to what extent, how, and when the InSAT can be applied within a stepwise Systems Approach Framework (SAF) to support sustainable coastal and marine management. Further, we assess how the tool can be applied within other integrated approaches. The application of tailor-made indicators helps to identify potential conflicts and raise discussions about sustainable development between stakeholders and decision-makers and therefore supports the decision-making process. The tool indicates the management measures’ weaknesses, but the assessment results do not indicate what kind of solutions should be undertaken. However, it can still serve to support, guide, and supplement the participation and discussion processes.
Highlights
As early as 1987, the Brundtland Report briefly defined the basic idea of sustainable development, namely “to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]
The QualityCoast indicators were submerged into the SUSTAIN spreadsheet-based assessment method [32], but the results were not reproducible, and it was difficult to compare them with those related to other destinations as well as with indicators with too strong a focus on tourism [32]
Tailor-made indicators were chosen to cover three categories of sustainability, and process indicators were included to measure the success of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) [21]
Summary
As early as 1987, the Brundtland Report briefly defined the basic idea of sustainable development, namely “to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]. Due to significant differences between sustainability concepts and aims in different coastal and marine management solutions, the proposed framework under this study encourages a careful analysis of the outcomes and needs of a specific management measure To this effect, we suggest selecting specific, more flexible tailor-made core and optional indicators (Figure 1, Step 3). The indicator set of each sustainability category and sub-category is divided into core and optional tailor-made indicators and as an early warning signal helps to identify strengths and weaknesses within the quantitative assessment of coastal and marine management initiatives. The collective application and operation of core and optional indicators highlights any weaknesses in the management initiative
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