about smart coasts
The core aim of Smart Coasts = Sustainable Communities is to equip Irish and Welsh INTERREG area communities to maintain the economic and strategic value of near-shore waters to their economies, thereby assisting the aims of the Lisbon Strategy and the Gothenburg Declaration by contributing directly to sustainable development. Two inter-dependent demonstration actions are underway on the Irish and Welsh coasts (Bray, Co. Wicklow adjacent to the Dargle catchment, and nearshore and coastal areas of Swansea Bay).
These complementary activities are aimed at illustrating the methods needed to implement real-time bathing water management for public health protection and sustainable bathing water compliance in complex bathing water systems. This is being done by developing real-time management systems, first suggested by the World Health Organisation, and now incorporated within the newly revised bathing water Directive.
The deployment of information and communications technology (ICT) tools and real-time public information systems, being developed in the project, will improve the maintenance of public health and increase the number of beaches passing the new EU standards, thus qualifying for awards such as the Blue Flag.
The project is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Ireland Wales Programme (INTERREG 4A).
