Marine Spatial Planning: the protection of coastal environment in the core of development

Source: Pexels

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a critical modern-day concept in coastal management, but what does it really mean? Serge Yazigi, senior expert in Development and Planning and university professor, and Manal Nader, expert in Marine Biology and Aquaculture and Director of the Institute of Environment at the University of Balamand*, explain why this tool is so efficient in organizing human activities while preserving natural habitats and why it is still a slow – if not inexistent – process in Lebanon.

What is Marine Spatial Planning and why is it important?

SY and MN: MSP is a process that organizes human activities in coastal and marine areas and interactions among its uses. Like land use planning, its goal is to balance demands for sustainable development of the coast with the need to protect the coastal and marine ecosystems.

MSP is a science-based approach that organizes how marine space is used, ensuring that economic activities like fishing, tourism, transportation and energy development do not come at the expense of the natural environment and its biodiversity. Note that by ‘coastal’, we mean the terrestrial environment adjacent to the shore and the territorial waters of the country.

What has been done to this day on the Lebanese shores?

MSP has been somewhat of a slow, if not a non-existent process in Lebanon. Nevertheless, in addition to the Abbassiyeh Nature Reserve (South-Lebanon, Tyre district) that has been recently declared, and based on the 2012 Marine Protected Area Strategy of the Lebanese Ministry of Environment, certain protected areas have been established along the coast, including the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve in South-Lebanon, and the Palm Islands Nature Reserve in the North of the country.

Marine biodiversity on the Lebanese shores has also been studied and occasionally mapped by academic institutions, research centers and national and international NGOs for potential protection. Similarly, local NGOs and environmental groups have created initiatives that help to keep the shores clean and to protect marine life and the environment.

Moreover, Lebanon is benefiting from the comprehensive guidance developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to adopt MSP, including the 2021 “MSP global International Guide on Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning.” This guide outlines best practices, implementation phases, and monitoring strategies, and it encourages stakeholder engagement and transboundary cooperation—key aspects for Lebanon given its geopolitical and ecological context.

Currently, the Marine and Coastal Resources Program at the Institute of the Environment, University of Balamand (MCR-IOE-UOB) is developing the first Marine and Coastal Baseline Map to be followed by an MSP within the context of a project funded by PAP/RAC (Mediterranean UN Agency). This baseline map includes all available and accessible information that allows visualization of usages of coastal areas and territorial waters aiming to better inform management approaches and conservation efforts.

How can MSP help protect natural habitats, fisheries and other coastal resources from threats?

As Lebanon faces increasing pressures on its coastal ecosystems, experts are turning to MSP as a powerful tool to protect the country’s coastal resources. It is not an end by itself but it is meant to lead to practical and sustainable initiatives. It allows identifying and designating protection areas through limiting destructive human activities and development. It also assists in combating illegal fishing through monitoring requirements and allocating specific zones (where fishing is allowed) in non-critical areas. MSP is also a tool for climate resilience, as it protects natural habitats and biodiversity which in turn buffer against storms and land erosion.

For Lebanon, it could mean:

• - Fully protecting the Maritime Public Domain (MPD) including rocky shores and their terraces, pebble and sandy beaches, and sensitive habitats especially in shallow areas.
• - Supporting small-scale fisheries by identifying and protecting spawning and nursery grounds, and by reserving areas for sustainable practices.
• - Reducing pollution by regulating industrial and wastewater discharge points.
• - Enhancing climate resilience by preserving coastal wetlands and natural buffers.

In summary, by clearly defining who can do what and where, MSP helps reduce conflicts and ensures that marine resources are used wisely today and for generations to come.

What role would MSP play in the case of oil and gas exploration?

MSP can serve multiple purposes to balance development and exploration with environmental protection and marine activities. Firstly, it is a crucial tool that balances energy goals with environmental protection. It assists in identifying the suitable areas for exploration in parallel to exclusion zones that contain rich biodiversity and key fishing sites, therefore safeguarding, amongst others, ecologically sensitive areas and fishing grounds.

It can also prevent oil spills by requiring strict environmental assessments and emergency plans prior to oil exploration. It also promotes sustainable resource management by providing recommendations for the process.

By mapping marine uses and risks, such planning minimizes conflicts between energy projects and coastal communities while at the same time ensuring that infrastructure—such as pipelines and rigs—are deployed with minimal ecological disruption, and that emergency response plans are integrated into national marine strategies.

In short, MSP offers Lebanon a way to pursue offshore energy development responsibly, ensuring that economic gains do not come at the cost of marine ecosystem health and associated resources.

What are your recommendations for future actions?

It is strongly recommended to create a national MSP framework, mapping marine ecosystems and human activities, and involving local communities in decision-making while at the same time integrating such an MSP with climate and coastal policies.

In addition, it would be beneficial to update the Marine Protected Area Strategy of 2012 and include it in master plans and national initiatives. Developing a national MSP framework through a collaboration of ministries and NGOs (both local and international) can offer new insights and funding for further progress.

Legal action support, including implementing and enforcing coastal protection laws and enforcing MSP integration into oil and gas licensing conditions, are necessary. Expanding MPAs to include various critical habitats in the coastal zone of Lebanon can increase the protection of biodiversity, provide grounds for sustainable fisheries, support coastal livelihoods, and manage offshore energy responsibly —therefore securing a healthier future for our cherished Mediterranean Sea.

*Manal Nader is head of the project reviewing the national Lebanese ICZM draft law and strategy for Lebanon in conformity with the ICZM Protocol and in collaboration with PAP/RAC and the MOE as a focal point, while Serge Yazigi is part of the team of experts.