Symphony- a cumulative assessment tool for MSP by Linus Hammar, Senior Analyst Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management at the workshop 'Applying ecosystem approach (HELCOM-VASAB)' at the 2nd Baltic Maritime Spatial Planning Forum in Riga, Latvia on 23-24 November 2016 (the final conference of the Baltic SCOPE collaboration). Video and other presentations - www.balticscope.eu www.vasab.org

1. Linus Hammar
W 2/2 Applying ecosystem approach
Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management
(HELCOM-VASAB)
#BalticMSP
Symphony- a cumulative assessment
tool for MSP
Senior Analyst

2. What is the problem?
2

3. Symphony supports the Ecosystem
Approach in Swedish MSP
• We want to compare the environmental
impact of different plan alternatives
• Cumulative impact is what matters
• We develop a tool called Symphony
• Symphony is based on a scientifically
established method (Halpern et al 2008)
11/28/2016 3

4. How Symphony works
11/28/2016
Maps of ecosystem
components1
Maps of marine
pressures2
Sensitivity matrix
based on experts3
Baseline
results4
Link pressures
to maritime plan5
Results for plan
iteration6
A more sustainable
marine plan7

5. Ecosystem components in Symphony
We have produced about 30 maps of
ecosystem components based on existing data
• Examples: Benthic habitats, fish spawning
areas, porpoises, seabirds, plankton
• Aggregated maps indicate biodiversity
hotspots and sensitive areas
11/28/2016 5
Ecosystem diversity
map (Swedish draft)
Ecosystem sensitivity
map (Swedish draft)
Yellow more, blue less
The maps do not fully cover areas outside Swedish waters
and EEZ and do not represent the full Baltic Scope area

6. Human pressures in Symphony
We have produced about 25 maps of
human pressures based on existing data
• Examples: Shipping noise, fishing,
military explosions, wind farm bird
avoidance, eutrophication, coastal
exploitation
• About a third of the pressures are
related to MSP
• Aggregated maps indicate areas where
pressures are many and intense
11/28/2016 6
Human pressure
map (Swedish draft)
Red more, blue less
The maps do not fully cover areas outside Swedish waters
and EEZ and do not represent the full Baltic Scope area

7. Cumulative impact in Symphony
The cumulative impact is based on
• Number and intensity of ecosystem
components
• Number and intensity of human
pressures
• How sensitive each ecosystem
component is to each human pressure
This map helps to identify areas of
concern, and allows us to compare the
environmental impact of different plan
alternative
11/28/2016 7
Cumulative impact
map (Swedish draft)
Red more, blue less
The maps do not fully cover areas outside Swedish waters
and EEZ and do not represent the full Baltic Scope area

8. Ecosystem sensitivity
map (Swedish draft)
Symphony for Ecosystem Approach
• We identify areas of particular sensitivity
• We examine the cumulative impact of the MSP draft
• We identify areas where impact is too high
• We analyze which pressures that contribute to the
bad situation
• We use this information to discuss with stakeholders
• We develop alternative plan
• We examine the cumulative impact of the new
alternative plan
• We iterate until good plan is found
• The method is transparent
• The method can be used in any country and as a
basis for transboundary consultations
• HELCOM is using similar method, for assessment
11/28/2016 8
Cumulative impact
map (Swedish draft)
Yellow more, blue less
Red more, blue less

9. 9American approach Swedish approach

10. What do we want?
10