RICERCA ITALIANA     

Center of Excellence for the Evaluation and Promotion of Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean Coastal Areas

Università "Ca' Foscari" di Venezia

Abstract

This proposal for the constitution of a "Centre of Excellence" focuses on research activities dedicated to the Evaluation and Promotion of Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean Coastal Areas.



The main goal of the proposed centre will be the study of the legal, economic and social aspects of political, economic and environmental interactions between countries and regions belonging to the Mediterranean coastal areas. These studies will be designed to evaluate and promote, through adequate policies and international co-operation, the sustainable development of Mediterranean countries.



Located in Venice, the centre will catalyse the integration of expertise from three university departments and from private and public research centres. Co-operation with private companies for the development of business activities is also envisaged. This rich base of knowledge and experience will be applied to evaluate legal, economic and social aspects of EU and non-EU interactions in Mediterranean coastal zones.



The Centre's focus on sustainable development will be expressed in three areas of activity. Firstly, the collection, organisation and dissemination of information will be carried out using advanced information technologies aimed at maximum communicability. The resulting interactive database is foreseen as a point of interaction and collaboration for an international network of public>>>

Principal Investigator

Gabriele ZANETTO Università "Cà Foscari" di VENEZIA

International Relationship

The proposed centre of excellence will take form with the collaboration of a number of organisations whose collaboration will furnish a rich foundation of specialisation and technical ability. The University of Venice, as well as several research centers in Venice, have a good foundation of experience matured in the management of competing territorial uses. The multifaceted venetian situation which includes its port, urban centre, tourist industry, and delicate natural environment is among the most complete examples of coastal zone management in connection with economic dynamics. The great complexity of the Venetian territory has led to the development of competencies that have tended not to present themselves on the international scientific scene as an integrated system, instead communicating in disciplinary subsystems. The proposal for a Centre of Excellence offers Venice what it may lack in available instrumentation, and also a connection between local academic resources currently distributed in different university departments and the in the institutes of CNR. As such, the Centre will be an important actor in the process of Mediterranean integration, at the service of businesses, institutions, and researchers.



The following organisations are well established in their respective areas, have a successful history of collaboration with the Venice University Ca' Foscari, are committed to cooperating in the proposed center of excellence, are>>>

Research Objectives

Objectives



The primary objective is to create a center of advanced research that implements integrated approaches to analyze and promote the sustainability of a wide range of situations in the Mediterranean coastal regions. The evaluation will take into consideration the socio-economic, cultural and environmental perspectives of individual situations or projects by employing an interdisciplinary approach.



The Center is proposed to achieve excellence in the integration of existing multidisciplinary competencies and the utilization of information technology such as numerical modeling and geographic information systems (GIS), which will allow for a broad geographic approach, rationalizing the integrated evaluation of the economic and cultural dynamics within the context of coastal environments. Modelling activities will also cover topics like water management, climate change impacts and the related mitigation and adaptation policies, trade, migration and tourist flows. International legal aspects related to the policy dimension of the above issues will be analyzed, and the policy dimensions of international agreements necessary to develop sustainable development in the Mediterranean coastal areas will be explored.



The Center aims to be an important reference point for sustainable development studies and for cooperation between Mediterranean countries, and therefore also meeting point>>>