This article outlines the approach of Zukunft Küste – Coastal Futures, one of two large platform projects funded by the German Ministry of Research (BMBF). Beginning in April 2004, the project is designed to support sustainable development along the North Sea coast of Schleswig- Holstein. It involves a total of 50 project partners and consists of four interrelated project modules and 12 sub-projects, each of which is guided by specific research questions. The scientific concept is based on bringing together tools from both natural and social sciences - e.g. scenario techniques, modelling, stakeholder dialogues and Multi-Criteria Analysis - in order to develop planning and management options at the local, regional and national level. A key theme will be the assessment of interactions resulting from offshore wind farm development, including impacts on ecosystem and habitat structures, the economy and infrastructure, conflicts between stakeholders as well as social values such as perception of the coast by local people. To ensure methodological and conceptual integration, integrated assessment (known e.g. from LOICZ) and indicators (based on the DPSIR approach) form an overall framework. This framework, which is built on former international research, can be flexibly applied to different thematic fields and is able to use qualitative and quantitative information. Another level of integration is the comprehensive dialogue with local, regional and national stakeholders, which aims to integrate these actors as active research partners. |
