The coastal zones of the Mediterranean are undergoing
rapid development with growing and conflicting demands on the
natural resources, and at the same time they are subject to often irreversible
degradation of these resources and thus the very basis for development.
Water resources and the related land use issues are a key element
for the sustainable development of coastal regions.
They illustrate the dependency of the usually dynamic
and fast growing coastal areas on their resource catchment.
SMART has developed methods and tools for long-term policy analysis
and strategic decision support for integrated coastal development with
special emphasis on water resources and land use, and
the resource balance between the coastal region and inland areas.
The approach is based on a multi-sectoral integration of quantitative and
qualitative analysis, combining advanced tools of quantitative systems
engineering, using numerical simulation models, with methods of environmental,
socio-economic and policy impact assessment using rule-based
expert systems technology and interactive decision support methods.
Water resources modeling including both quantitative and qualitative aspects
provides the framework for policy scenarios, exploring different development strategies,
the consequences and implications of demographic, socio-economic, and technological
development, and the interaction of these driving forces towards long-term
sustainability of the coastal regions and their hinterland.
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SMART brings together partners from
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia,
Italy, France, Portugal, and Austria, with case studies in
each of the Mediterranean partner countries.
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Available on-line for downloading in PDF format:
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Related research topics:
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