The European commission has just announced funding for the international research project PADDLE, under the Horizon 2020 programme. This project, co-ordinated by IRD, brings together a multidisciplinary team of around a hundred researchers, in a consortium of 18 partners from the North and South. Its aim: to create a platform for the analysis of the opportunities and risks of marine spatial planning in countries in the tropical zone.
“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans”: this is the 14th of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN for 2030. It is a difficult objective to achieve, given the weakness of the existing legal framework to regulate the activities of users and professionals who exploit maritime spaces at global level (tourism, fishing, industries, etc.).
In this context, the PADDLE research project proposes an original approach: joint reflection between European countries, West African countries and Brazil, on the methods and processes for “marine spatial planning” in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
This planning, which integrates socio-economic, environmental and cultural issues, aims to “ensure better coordination of the actions of public authorities and private players in the marine sector, to guarantee the best possible use of marine spaces and the economic development of the sector.”
With 1.5 million euros of funding for four years from the European Commission, PADDLE brings together 18 scientific partners (7 Southern partners and 11 European partners), in a multidisciplinary approach (marine biology, geography, economy, law, etc.).
It will allow “the identification of the tools available to optimally organise activities at sea, taking into account local populations” emphasises Marie Bonnin, IRD researcher specialising in environmental law and coordinator of the PADDLE Project. These issues were addressed from 5 to 9 June 2017, during the international Ocean Conference, held at the UN. The first meeting of the programme will take place in October in Brest, within the European University Institute for the Sea (IUEM).