Development of a Protocol for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study and Preliminary Results in a Coastal Industrial Area in the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

During the last decade, growing demand has prevailed for environmental protection and the application of sustainability principles toward the coastal environment. As the coastal zone constitutes one of the first recipients of the impacts of climate change due to the rise in sea level, integrated coastal zone management arises as a significant tool for the study of vulnerable coastal ecosystems. In combination with ICZM, the use of indicators and ecosystem services analysis couples all of the information, leading to an integrated approach and opportunities for a sustainable blue economy in coastal ecosystems. The aim of the present study is to form a protocol for a sustainable blue economy in the coastal zone, which will investigate and define the current capacity and the boundaries of a coastal ecosystem with specific characteristics of industrial activity, cultural heritage, and a protected natural environment. The case study for this research is the Gulf of Elefsis, a special sea basin in the eastern Mediterranean, located a short distance from the Athens metropolitan area. The Gulf of Elefsis is characterized by a developed coastal zone, which includes intense industrial activity, the ancient historical sights of Elefsis, the environmentally protected wetland of lake Koumoundourou, the town of Elefsis, a trade port, and growing shipbuilding activity.

Sustainable and blue tourism in the light of e-commerce development and economic growth– A Meta-Analysis

“…Technology has unquestionably transformed the global tourism sector, particularly in Blue Tourism, although more must be done to raise awareness of using it accurately. In the present study, a serious scientific effort was made to identify the gaps through a meta-analysis on the evolution of blue tourism and e-commerce (Mello et al,2023;Pournara et al,2023;De Brito & Silviero,2023;Pournara et al, 2022;Mani et al2022;Tianming,2021;Sharafuddin et al,2020;Su-San et al,2020;Hampton, & Jeyacheya,2020;Jones & Navarro,2018;Grellier et al,2017;King,2004 ). In terms of theoretical implications, this meta-analysis has contributed to the body of knowledge on blue tourism, sustainability, and e-commerce.…”

“…Various research has contributed to this matter especially between 2019-2023 (Liang, et al, 2022;Alonso-Muñoz et al,2022;Grdinić & Škurić,,2021;Praptiwi et al,2021;Sharafuddin et al,2020;Pforr,2001 ). Coastal marketing is one of the strategies used to promote tourism by highlighting Blue Flag beaches for their environmental quality (Pournara et al,2023;Pournara et al,2022;Mani et al,2022;Khan et al,2020;Shomshekova, et al,2020;Mishra et al,2020;Satariano,2019;Jones& Navarro,2018;Creo & Fabroni,2011) Wysokińska, 2017). Thus, we can state with confidence that e-commerce used in the travel industry generally has a good effect on the social, cultural, and economic spheres.…”

A Study on Industrial Heritage Renewal Strategy Based on Hybrid Bayesian Network

“…Ecological sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability are three interrelated and inseparable aspects that together form the sustainability of human society. Similarly, the renewal and sustainability of industrial heritage necessitate attention to various issues, including ecological conservation, economic efficiency, urban needs, historical heritage, and social environment [26][27][28]. Given the multitude of intricate internal and external requirements, this research aims to address the decision problem of the direction of industrial heritage development by employing mathematical methodologies and techniques for precise inference and computation of said development.…”

Toward a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study of an Industrialized Coastal Ecosystem in Greece

“…The case study of this paper is Elefsis Gulf (Figures 3 and 4), a coastal ecosystem in Central Greece with the special characteristics of cultural heritage and interest, industrial activity, port, urbanization, and protected natural area [32]. The gulf of Elefsis presents increased scientific interest and is supposed to be one of the most studied coastal areas in the eastern Mediterranean, because of its unique characteristics, its location-just 18 km of the historic capital of Athens-and its important cultural past-the ancient city of Elefsis was one of the four sacred cities of the ancient world [33].…”