OCEANIDS: Empowering Citizen-Driven Climate Resilience and Inclusive Governance for a Sustainable Blue Economy in Mediterranean Coastal Regions

The main objective of the OCEANIDS project is to develop user-driven applications and tools, aiming to enhance and facilitate regional authorities and stakeholders, fostering a systemic pathway that promotes resilience and inclusivity leading to a Blue Economy in coastal regions. The project focuses on facilitating a comprehensive seascape management approach by integrating spatial and non-spatial data and diverse services into a single-access window platform for Climate-Informed Maritime Spatial Planning (CI-MSP). The core innovation is the OCEANIDS Decision Support Platform (O-DSP) which focuses on the harmonization and curation of climate and meteorological data services, making them accessible, reusable, and interoperable to support local adaptation strategies. OCEANIDS enhances adaptive capacities and supports transformative innovations by providing critical access to knowledge, data, and digital services essential for understanding and managing climate risks. The project emphasizes inclusivity as a pivotal factor in advancing a Blue Economy, focusing on both individual and systemic behavioural changes, enabling participating regions and communities to better understand and use potential social tipping points to accelerate transformative changes towards climate resilience. OCEANIDS focuses on promoting inclusive and deliberative governance through meaningful engagement and dialogue between citizens and stakeholders. This shall be achieved via case-specific tools, such as ephemeral social networks, which support local citizens' assemblies for bottom-up deliberation promoting this way civic engagement, and empowering individuals to take action within their communities. Moreover, OCEANIDS contributes to mobilizing sustainable finance and resources, aiming to scale adaptation efforts and close the climate protection gap. The project’s multidisciplinary approach aligns with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) objectives, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development, providing a robust framework for enhancing resilience to mitigate risks in Mediterranean coastal regions.