Spatial Economic Benefit Analysis: Facing integration challenges in maritime spatial planning

Maritime spatial planning (MSP) is a complex endeavour that faces multiple integration challenges: different forms of knowledge, various stakeholders, policies and sectors need to be taken into account as well as different scales, national borders and the interface of land and sea. MSP already integrates different views such as ecological and jurisdictional. However, there is room for improvement in integrating economic, social and cultural perspectives. Tools to analyse the economic effects of planning decisions are, admittedly, rare. To close this gap, the Spatial Economic Benefit Analysis (SEBA) tool has been developed. The method identifies and maps the spatial distribution of benefits associated with certain maritime uses. Given that statistical data on maritime sectors is not available at the necessary level of detail, the SEBA tool takes a rather unconventional approach. Instead of directly assessing monetary benefits, it identifies beneficiaries and analyses their geographical distribution. In this way, the tool enables MSP practitioners to respond to current and future integration challenges. For the sectors of shipping and offshore wind energy, the tool has been tested on the case of the German Baltic Sea region. The case study reveals strengths and weaknesses in applying the SEBA method in general, as well as with regard to the various integration challenges in MSP.