Characterisation of MED space

OTREMED project is not a ad hoc and opportunist initiative, it is the result of a pragmatic capitalization process rooted in the precedent transnational cooperation projects. In that sense, this first phase of characterization of the MED space aims at gathering, compiling and valorizing past studies and analysis but also to update all this information in order to have a actual picture of the Mediterranean space.

The four activities fulfilled during the implementation of this component are:

• Board of experts:

The Board is composed of 5 members who are experts on spatial planning, territorial competitiveness in the Med space, town planning, sustainability and development of new territorial tools. Four of them are representatives of participating states and the last one is an international expert. The board is working in close cooperation with the steering committee during the entire OTREMED project.

The Board brings its expertise on scientific and technical aspects, at every stage of the process (especially for the territorial characterization of the Mediterranean space, the identification of factors and the identification of indicators).  It will also make a monitoring and an assessment of the pilot experience. It will meet 5 times during the project’s life, for now, 3 meetings have been organized.

• Previous work compilation : phase 3.2

The compilation includes all studies on the Mediterranean model, MED cartography which can be useful for a better understanding of the 11 territorial competitiveness challenges of the Med macro-region defined in PIC.RM.  The compilation will also be composed of projects from other European programmes as GIS4EU, ESDIN, Plan4all which handle issues on territorial cohesion and sustainable development.  The aim is to create a handbook of knowledge for further activities in territorial management.

• Cartographic data sources : phase 3.2

OTREMED is taking in account the INSPIRE directive of EU to create a spatial data infrastructure in the European area. In order to create a cartographic data source, OTREMED sent a questionnaire on the territorial information system available in Mediterranean regions. We are still waiting for lot of answers from them. The questionnaire sent to partners asks for content and technical characteristic of territorial information as presence of cartography, GIS infrastructure in the regions, presence of Web SIG and presence of geographic Content Management System (CMS). In the ongoing weeks Emilia-Romagna Region will elaborate a report which summarizes answers from partners and analyses them.

• Mediterranean territorial model : phase 3.3

On the bases of the previous activity, the Lazio Region was in charge of elaborating a report to present the actual development and spatial systems in Mediterranean territories. They asked for the partners support in gathering a lot of information about eleven aspects of territorial development and competitiveness. This document (focus document) also asked for a prioritization of proposed items and a global evaluation of on-going regional policies.

The partners’ answers were used by Lazio Region to identify key-topics. They also proposed in the conclusion 13 statements, useful for the next step which is the selection of the indicators.

• Common cultural heritage to be enhanced and put in light as common economic base;
• Specificity of settlements metropolis as “mother cities” part of this network of historical poles of Mediterranean;
• Importance of urban and rural landscape as expression of stratification of cultures and economies;
• Climate as main common factor for Mediterranean space integration;
• Very high level of transformation of settlements and territory, risk for loss of identity especially in the southern metropolitan areas emerging countries;
• High level of environmental risk in the ancient settlements, hydrogeology, historical heritage maintenance;
• High level of environmental risks ( fires, drought, earthquakes);
• High level of danger for the ecological asset of the Mediterranean (Hydrogeologic asset pollution, fishery, infrastructures for transportation) also by the modifications due by modernisation process;
• Very high level of modification and increasing of urbanisation of coastal territories. High level of development of non – sustainable models for tourism in coastal areas;
• Historical fragmentation of territories, towns and settlements; historical deep relationship between small and medium sized towns and the rural space: Lack of conscience and fragmentation in Mediterranean countries and regions to develop strategies aimed at a real cooperation based on the common and heritage.
• Prevalence and centrality of the relationship with the sea, in many cases to be re-interpreted against the globalisation process; need to enhance and stress the historical and cultural meaning of the historical, sea towns;
• Absence of a common energy policy for the Mediterranean: different point of view and economic interest, differentiated renewable energy policies,
• Sustainable policies for a Mediterranean economy of agriculture integrated policies for quality of food as protection of rural areas