(establishment of a route of Traditional Salt from the Atlantic, the ‘KM 0’ branding
initiative, the Eating Algarve Food tour cf. Akinsete et al. 2019).
The development of renewable energies offshore, if integrated as part of wider
strategic development inland, can foster land-sea synergies as shown in the Renewable Energy Island project
18 of Samsø in Denmark. Through the development of
renewable offshore and inland energies and the direct investment of the local
community, the island became 100% self-sufficient in terms of energy production.
Local islanders who are shareholders in the different energy production enterprises
even generated income. The multiplier effect of the renewable energy strategy has,
therefore, been felt throughout the local economy. Moreover, the project had positive effects of the quality of air, water and terrestrial environment with significant
reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and airborne particles, which has in turn
benefited the provision of ecosystem services. Such an initiative is a perfect example
on how the green economy and the needed energy transition towards renewables can
create business opportunities, foster collaborations in a coastal-rural community and
improve land-sea synergies which will benefit the economy, the environment and the
local community. The development of offshore energy can also boost local port/
shipping activities by creating new strands of income-generating activity and thus
diversify the local economy as foreseen in the French COASTAL case study for the
port of La Rochelle.
Coastal risk management strategies can also create opportunities for renewable
energy development; flood risk and coastal defence systems can be combined with
energy production systems at sea with break water-wave energy converters (Emid
2014). In the context of climate change, sea-level rise, increase deterioration of
weather conditions indicating stronger and more frequent storms along the coasts,
increases the risk of major disasters in coastal areas. Technological innovations in
the form of breakwaters installed offshore have the ability to reduce the strength of
sea waves and keep the sea surge off the coast, thus limiting flood risk and coastal
erosion. These breakwaters can be coupled with wave energy converters to take
advantage of the wave power and harness the energy for productive purposes.
Although this technology is still at the testing phase, it is very promising in terms
of coastal risk management and renewable energy development. It is also a good
example of how Green Growth and Blue Growth may be coupled to foster land-sea
synergies.
For coastal defence, nature-based solutions are also particularly relevant: beach
nourishment,
19 compared to conventional options, creates additional co-benefits
through increased attractiveness for recreational opportunities. Increasing the
width of the beach may provide opportunities for the development of new recreational activities on the beach. It also generally increases the environmental quality
and consequently the number of tourists. Such co-benefits can increase economic
18 Cf. https://energiakademiet.dk/en/
19 Practice in which sediment is brought onto a beach to replace sediment lost through erosion
process
7 Increasing Land-Sea Synergies and Coastal-Rural Collaboration for a Healthy. . .
121
initiative, the Eating Algarve Food tour cf. Akinsete et al. 2019).
The development of renewable energies offshore, if integrated as part of wider
strategic development inland, can foster land-sea synergies as shown in the Renewable Energy Island project
18 of Samsø in Denmark. Through the development of
renewable offshore and inland energies and the direct investment of the local
community, the island became 100% self-sufficient in terms of energy production.
Local islanders who are shareholders in the different energy production enterprises
even generated income. The multiplier effect of the renewable energy strategy has,
therefore, been felt throughout the local economy. Moreover, the project had positive effects of the quality of air, water and terrestrial environment with significant
reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and airborne particles, which has in turn
benefited the provision of ecosystem services. Such an initiative is a perfect example
on how the green economy and the needed energy transition towards renewables can
create business opportunities, foster collaborations in a coastal-rural community and
improve land-sea synergies which will benefit the economy, the environment and the
local community. The development of offshore energy can also boost local port/
shipping activities by creating new strands of income-generating activity and thus
diversify the local economy as foreseen in the French COASTAL case study for the
port of La Rochelle.
Coastal risk management strategies can also create opportunities for renewable
energy development; flood risk and coastal defence systems can be combined with
energy production systems at sea with break water-wave energy converters (Emid
2014). In the context of climate change, sea-level rise, increase deterioration of
weather conditions indicating stronger and more frequent storms along the coasts,
increases the risk of major disasters in coastal areas. Technological innovations in
the form of breakwaters installed offshore have the ability to reduce the strength of
sea waves and keep the sea surge off the coast, thus limiting flood risk and coastal
erosion. These breakwaters can be coupled with wave energy converters to take
advantage of the wave power and harness the energy for productive purposes.
Although this technology is still at the testing phase, it is very promising in terms
of coastal risk management and renewable energy development. It is also a good
example of how Green Growth and Blue Growth may be coupled to foster land-sea
synergies.
For coastal defence, nature-based solutions are also particularly relevant: beach
nourishment,
19 compared to conventional options, creates additional co-benefits
through increased attractiveness for recreational opportunities. Increasing the
width of the beach may provide opportunities for the development of new recreational activities on the beach. It also generally increases the environmental quality
and consequently the number of tourists. Such co-benefits can increase economic
18 Cf. https://energiakademiet.dk/en/
19 Practice in which sediment is brought onto a beach to replace sediment lost through erosion
process
7 Increasing Land-Sea Synergies and Coastal-Rural Collaboration for a Healthy. . .
121