Exploring integration of land-sea interactions in maritime spatial planning in the Bulgarian context, Black Sea

The land and sea are inherently connected via multiple, complex natural, socio-economic, and institutional interactions. To promote sustainable use of maritime space, Land-Sea Interactions (LSI) must be taken into account when preparing and implementing Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) as required by the European MSP Directive 2014/89/EU. However, the implication of LSI and LSI analysis for MSP are still not fully clear from an operational perspective. This paper explores the need for a more thorough uptake of LSI within the preparation and implementation of MSP, with specific reference to the experience gained in Bulgaria through the European MARSPLAN-BS II project, and its Shabla case study. Capitalising on previous projects experiences, MARSPLAN-BS II proposed a possible way of approaching the LSI complexity including: a conceptual framework, an operational definition and a step-by-step methodology for the analysis and integration of LSI in MSP. Testing the adopted methodology and involving local stakeholders, the key LSI, and challenges and enablers for LSI integration were identified. Key LSI are: water supply and sewerage, wastewater disposal, septic tanks; coastal erosion, coastal and maritime tourism, oil and gas extraction. While main enablers are linked with European MSP projects, data sharing, flexible LSI methodology, a set of challenges still remain: limited understating of LSI analysis within MSP, lack of accepted definition of LSI, different scales and types of land and sea planning, lack or fragmentation of institutional cooperation, etc. Conclusions were then formulated to strengthen LSI integration within MSP, also dealing with multi-scalar issues (from local to cross-border levels).