The project ‘Spatial Planning in the Coastal Zone – Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development’ was developed by the COBSEA Secretariat as a post-tsunami project during 2006 and submitted to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), which approved it for funding in early 2009. The 3-year project focuses on spatial planning in coastal areas with an overall goal to prevent/reduce the impacts from natural disasters, climate change and sea-level rise, and to promote sustainable development of coastal areas through the application of spatial planning.