CO_EVOLVE project
Programme: INTERREG MED
Project Title: Promoting the co-evolution of human activities and natural systems for the development of sustainable coastal and maritime tourism
Acronym: CO-EVOLVE
Duration: 2016/nov-2019/oct (36 months)
Total Budget : € 3.000.000,00
Ismar Budget: € 330,000.00
ERDF co-financing: € 280,500.00
Web site: https://co-evolve.interreg-med.eu/
Summary: CO-EVOLVE is an INTERREG MED 2016 modular project developed under the Programme’s priority axis 3 (natural and cultural resources) and specific objective 3.1 (sustainable tourism). It aims to analyse and promote the co-evolution of human activities and natural systems in touristic coastal areas, allowing for the sustainable development of touristic activities, based on the principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management/Maritime Spatial Planning.
CO-EVOLVE recognises that a key challenge for sustainable coastal and maritime tourism development is the strengthening of cooperation among regions and the joint development and transferring of approaches, tools, guidelines and best practices.
It brings together an analysis at MED scale of threats and enabling factors for sustainable tourism with local studies on seven representative Pilot Areas. The aim is to demonstrate through pilot actions the feasibility and effectiveness of an ICZM/MSP-based planning process.
As an M1 + M2 modular project, CO-EVOLVE will be divided into two phases: Studying, which consists in analysing and defining the state of the art at MED and pilot area scale and Testing, during which instruments, policies, strategies and joint plans already identified in M1 through pilot activities will be tested in order to set up solutions applicable to a wider set of users and territories.
CO-EVOLVE involves several institutional and technical partners dealing with sustainable coastal and maritime tourism management.
The CNR-ISMAR formerly had an essential role during the set up and drawing of project proposal, and is in charge of coordinating work package 3 on studying; moreover the Institute has an important role as task leader or contributor in many other project activities. The main objectives of work package 3 are to provide a complete and integrated analysis of the principal threats and enabling factors for a sustainable and ecosystem-based coastal tourism development at MED and Pilot Area scale, allowing a positive co-evolution of human activities and natural systems; to perform a quali-quantification of the sustainability of tourism at MED and Pilot Area scale to address their strategic planning, developing an operational Tourism Sustainability Toolkit; to develop tourism oriented Action Plans in Pilot Areas, according to ICZM Protocol, 2014/89/UE Directive on MSP, Sustainable Coastal Tourism Strategy.
Contact person in ISMAR: Andrea Barbanti andrea.barbanti@ve.ismar.cnr.it
Partnership:
- Region of East Macedonia and Thrace (REMTH) / Lead Partner
- Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions-Intermediterranean Commission (CPMR-CIM)
- University of Thessaly
- Emilia-Romagna Region
- Priority Actions Programme/Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC)
- Valenciaport Foundation for Research, Promotion and Commercial Studies of the Valencian region VALENCIAPORT FOUNDATION
- Po Delta Park Veneto Region Authority
- Dubrovnik Neretva Regional Development Agency (DUNEA)
- Department of Hérault
- Public Institution for Coordination and Development of Split Dalmatia County (RERA S.D.)
- Iuav University of Venice
- National Research Council-Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR)
Project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund 
