Adapting the legal framework of natural marine resources management to climate disruption: The case of Greece
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: The impacts of climate change on marine resources are well known and demand mitigation andadaptation measures in order to protect the ecosystems. This entails more than simply alteringmanagement practices; it requires altering goal setting and managing transitions to new ecosystemicconditions. In the European Union, the main legal tool for protection of the marineenvironment is the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Greece, as a member state of the EuropeanUnion, has transposed the Marine Strategy Framework Directive into its national legal orderand has developed legal structures to protect its marine resources from various threats, includingclimate change. The present paper aims to present the legal and policy management tools in Greece, relevant toimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and climate change adaptation. Formethodological reasons, the paper is divided into two parts: The first part deals with those legaltools that apply to an initial assessment of the environmental quality of Greek marine waters, whilethe second part analyzes legislative activities pertinent to the design and implementation of programsand measures. The aim of the national legislation is to maintain the ecosystemic integrity ofthe marine waters of Greece and to preserve the unique characteristics of the aquatic environmentwith respect to present and future generations. However, the analysis shows that a holistic legalframework demands explicit provisions for climate change impacts, while the existing frameworkfocuses primarily on anthropogenic pressures on the marine environment.
Author: Vicky Tzatzaki
Institution: Ministry of Environment and Energy
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,189
OpenAlex ID: W2904863405