Marine Spatial Planning: International and National Regulation

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is an integrated process of managing marine spaces and resources to achieve a balance between economic development and marine conservation. Increasingly, MSP is considered as an effective tool for implementing sustainable development priorities, especially the protection of the marine environment and biodiversity, and is therefore being actively implemented by states for marine areas under national jurisdiction. Currently, about 100 countries around the world are already applying MSP or intend to use it.

The Center has prepared a review (in Russian) of the main relevant international instruments and approaches to the implementation of MSP and relevant national legislation in a number of countries, such as Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, and Mozambique. The experience of these countries shows the variability of national regulation of this instrument of maritime space management and can be used in determining Russian approaches to the regulation of MSP.