Ecodefense! and Coalition Clean Baltic present the documentary ‘Focus on the Coast’, focused on showcasing historical and contemporary best practices for protecting the Baltic seacoast and filmed with the support of the LIFE-program.

Global climate change has caused catastrophic storms and floods in the Baltic Sea region, destroying unique natural areas and causing enormous damage to people and infrastructure. At the same time, the conservation of Baltic coastal areas has a long history, unique experience has been accumulated, and new ideas have been implemented.

“The film ‘Focus on the Coast’ devotes the viewer to the essence of the problem of destruction and preservation of the Baltic Sea coast, -— says Alexandra Koroleva, the author of the film’s idea and co-chairwoman of Ecodefense. — We highlight the local phenomena of global climate change affecting coastlines, coastal ecosystems and coastal communities. That as a result of intensified storms and floods, coastal regions are destroyed and flooded, and valuable territories, unique landscapes, important strategic areas, significant natural areas, areas rich in valuable resources and populated areas may be lost. We show concrete best examples of Baltic sea coastal protection in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. In each case, through interviews with local activists and scientists, we show why a given area needs protection and what specific actions are being taken to protect it, why certain practices are used and how they work.

According to HELCOM recommendations, coastal protection measures should be nationally or regionally incorporated into integrated coastal zone management plans. However, as shown in the report ‘Checking coastal conservation’, both land and marine spatial planning often neglect coastal protection, calling for a policy change. Activists of the Coalition Clean Baltic network claim that many regional and international recommendations regarding the conservation of Baltic coastal ecosystems are not being implemented.

Activists of NGOs are the force that changes politics by influencing decision makers. NGOs collaborate with scientists and independently explore the coast, take part in practical work on coastal conservation, participate in public hearings on environmental impact assessments (EIA) for coastal investment projects in accordance with the EU Directives and the Espoo Convention related to the coastal zone, organize educational programs, work with the media, attract local residents, and encourage municipalities to act.

«Today, in the atmosphere of general pessimism, when such key players as the United States are announcing their withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate, activists need inspiring examples more than ever,» says Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of Ecodefense and winner of the alternative Nobel Prize. «It doesn’t matter where these examples come from, from the Baltic region or Brazil, from the north or the south, but they, collected bit by bit, deserve the widest coverage, because they can become a growth point for new climate ideas.»

Documentary ‘Focus on the Coast’ offer valuable data to better understand the scope of the issue, helping to raise awareness and promote best practices in coastal protection for other regions facing similar challenges. The films will be distributed through non-governmental organizations, such as the Coalition Clean Baltic network, which unites leading NGOs in the Baltic Sea region. These organizations play a vital role in influencing policymakers. Effectively communicating the scale of the problem, the emerging trends and threats, and potential solutions are crucial to motivating stakeholders to take action to preserve coastlines and coastal ecosystems.

The film runs for 48 minutes. Language: English.

For more information, please contact Alexandra Koroleva ecodefense@gmail.com