Mapping of natural resources sustainable use in the case studies of SECOA project

Abstract

Series of maps of sustainable use of coastal natural resources focusing on coastal ecosystems and their important components in SECOA project case studies in partner countries of Belgium, India, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, the UK and Vietnam show clearly the level of sustainable or unsustainable uses spatially and temporally. Although having some limitations in indication of sustainable use of coastal ecosystem due to the lack of data at different time points, the maps of sustainable use of coastal ecosystems in case studies are exercises showing the qualitative approach to assessment of sustainable use of natural resources. Using indicators of ecosystem sustainability for assessment and mapping coastal resources use is a simple method but requires datum sequences at different time points. Making maps of sustainable use of coastal ecosystems also provide the change in area of each level (very sustainable, sustainable, unsustainable and very unsustainable) of the use of coastal ecosystems.