Maria Andrzejewska
Director
UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre
Poland

Abstract
Towards Sustainable Spatial Planning - Harmonisation of the Spatial Data for the Land Use Case Study in Poland

Co-Authors:
Monika Rusztecka, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre
Barbara Hejlasz, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre
Daniel Starczewski, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre

Management of space, aimed at efficient management of the environment is an important step towards sustainable development, in order to achieving the objectives set out in the various EU policies, particularly those identified in the 7th Environment Action Programme. The efficiency of spatial management is largely determined by the availability of data, particularly environment data, information on existing land use, social and economic demands as well as the availability and access to consistent spatial plans, both at the municipality and the region level. Therefore the INSPIRE theme Land use (Annex III, about 4) seems to be one of the most important from the point of view of strengthening ecological resilience, holding the soil degradation, boosting resource-efficiency. Development of coherent, harmonized land use database is the task of EU governments due to the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive. Given the availability of a detailed technical data specification this task appears to be a seemingly simple, but it's only the appearances. The UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre on the request of the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, conducted a pilot study focused on the identification, acquisition, processing land use plans into spatial data sets and harmonization of these data sets in accordance with the implementating rules and data specifications for the land use, including development of rules for mapping the national classification to HILUCS. The GE Environment Action Programme to 2020 "Living well, within the limits of our planet", objective 1 (To protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital) states that decision makers should reduce the most significant man-made pressures on land, soil and other ecosystems in Europe by taking action ensuring that decisions, relating to land use, at all relevant levels give proper consideration to environmental as well as social and economic impacts. Possibilities of using harmonized land use data sets by the local governments for environmental management, as well as monitoring and reporting of EU and national environmental policies were analysed and reported.