The following text is based on the document, presented and discussed during the International Conference "Education and Training in Integrated Coastal Area Management - The Mediterranean Prospect", organised by

Introduction

Keywords GIS, ICM, Thematic Network, Interoperability, User Centred Approach, Best Practice, Education

Abstract
GIS are powerful tools to support territorial management but if we want GIS to be effective we need to find the right approach for targeting better GIS users, the only ones who, also in ICM, can embed GIS into the actual flow of planning and acting on territorial (and sea) problems.

A practical way is here proposed to support this process, whose final aim is to focus GIS on the user. The initiative is to create a thematic network inside GISIG, "ICAM-GIS", for Coastal Area application activity to be structured and managed in collaboration with ICCOPS (International Center for Coastal and Ocean Policy Studies).

The network is proposed for scientific and technical collaboration, both for GIS implementation projects and for education / training activity and is open to all operators willing to exchange experience and to have a forum where to discuss GIS issues for ICM and to promote new initiatives.

ICM and GIS potentiality

When we consider ICM, some key issues have to be outlined, as remarked also in the paper
"Questions for an effective role of GIS in ICM" (Di Donato, Roccatagliata)
of the Session 4, "Technical tools for coastal education and training" of the International Conference "Education and Training in Integrated Coastal Area Management - The Mediterranean Prospect".

• It is useful to base on the approach enunciated in Agenda 21. In this context, two concepts have a leading role, integration and holism, closely linked: holistic analysis and representation of the coastal system is necessary to provide integrated management patterns.
• Integrated management should be intended as including seven types of integration, namely of: objectives, space, time, legal, jurisdictional, decision-making, social.

In this framework GIS can contribute in different ways. In particular, as regards the above points, we consider that GIS, complemented whenever necessary by disciplines such as Remote Sensing:

• can represent the territorial characters and make interactions clearer
• are a natural unifying environment to work
• allow multi-temporal analysis
• allow to map how different national laws consider coastal area
• make available to decision makers a unique reference frame
• are a powerful tool for informing and communicating the decision process

These considerations lead to say that if the concept of integrated management is adopted, coastal GIS are useful as a tool to represent the coastal area holistically.

The effort for integration in Coastal Management is reflected in the current technical debate running in the GIS context and aimed at GIS inter-operability in technology, data, data-structures, one of the main challenges for a wider diffusion and greater impact of GIS.

As a preliminary approach, the design of coastal GIS should focus on a range of main subjects (see also the aforesaid paper) that, summarising, comprise:

• the cognitive level, providing representations of: coastal area conditions, economic organisation, social features and role of decision-making centres
• the prospective level where the coastal GIS are required to provide possible setting of the coastal area
• the propositive level, where the optimum management pattern is designed and presented.

Objectives

The initiatives aims at establishing a European thematic network for GIS applications in ICM, ICAM-GIS, joining together in an multidisciplinary approach GIS and ICM actors, meaning as actors domain specialists for the various applications, technology and data providers, users, Administrations.

ICAM-GIS would be useful to offer an instrument and a place for discussion to the operators willing to explore possible interactions between ICM and GIS. The focus will be on applications and then on GIS users in ICM. These users will be at the centre of the process of GIS in ICM, to ensure at best their involvement and the satisfaction of their needs. It is the "User Centred Approach", that is coming out as a strong element for the success of the initiatives and was fruitfully experienced by GISIG in the ESPRIT/ESSI programme (BEST-GIS User Experience Network project).

In the above perspective, an operational way for doing that is proposed in the following.

ICAM-GIS would be strictly linked with the GISIG Association partnership and with its networking initiatives, in particular the Leonetwork project that is the current tool for enframing GISIG activities into the European Leonardo Da Vinci context.

That would ensure on one side (GISIG) the practical management, on the other side (Leonetwork) the potentiality of the Leonetwork partnership and the compliance to the European Leonardo context, related to strengthen the University Enterprise collaboration.

Activities

Some topics are proposed for ICAM-GIS, both for their importance and as a kernel element on which to activate collaboration and to start working together:

• Best Practice in GIS for ICM and user involvement: a profile of practical examples to serve as a guide and an indication to new users in GIS for ICM
• GIS as an element for a curricular educational profile in ICM: proposal for the GIS module in the planned MICM, Master in Integrated Coastal Management
• GIS support to EDUCOAST, Coastal Education Forum
• Involvement of industry and professionals (linked with the 1st point in this list)
• (mid term) proposals for R&TD in ICM and GIS in the 5th framework program

Streams

The ICAM-GIS activities will be streamed into various application fields to which will contribute the network partners. We are thinking to fields such as:

• GIS and the matrix of the coastal uses
• GIS and Remote Sensing for coastal databases
• Sea floor modelling
• Waterfront requalification
• Tourism and anthropical aspects
• Coastal mountains
• Coastal environment and pollution: GIS and Remote Sensing imagery
• Marine protected areas

The above linked issues are proposals we would like to start the discussion about.

Scientific board

Adalberto Vallega (ICCOPS Scientific Coordinator) will be in charge of the matters of Integrated Coastal Area Management. Contacts are running with other scientists in the GIS and in the ICM fields. The aim is to have this board operative and strictly connected to the network management. That is in our opinion a preliminary condition for the success of the network.

Network Secretariat

Please address yourself to (ref. ICAM-GIS)
Emanuele Roccatagliata
GISIG - Geographical Information Systems International Group
Via Piacenza, 54
16138 Genova
Tel: +39 010 8355588
Fax: +39 010 8357190
E-mail: gisig@gisig.it