Strengthening Knowledge and Cooperation:
The BRAVE Adriatic Advisory Committee (AAC)
The Adriatic Advisory Committee (AAC) serves as the scientific and technical backbone of the BRAVE project. By uniting experts from Italian regions and Croatian coastal counties, the committee is breaking down data fragmentation to build a coordinated, cross-border approach to marine governance.
Within the framework of the BRAVE project – Building Resilience and Adaptive Vision for the Adriatic Sea Environment – the Adriatic Advisory Committee (AAC) plays a central role as a multidisciplinary advisory body supporting the implementation of project activities.
The AAC is composed of experts from partner organizations across the programme area, covering all participating Italian regions and Croatian coastal counties. As one of the initial project activities, its establishment ensured a structured and coordinated approach from the outset, supporting effective cooperation and knowledge exchange across the cross-border area.
By integrating scientific knowledge with sectoral expertise, the Committee contributes to a coordinated and transnational approach to addressing environmental challenges in the Adriatic Sea.
The work of the AAC is particularly relevant in the context of increasing pressures on marine ecosystems, including biodiversity loss, the spread of invasive alien species and the impacts of climate and environmental change. In addition, the fragmentation and limited accessibility of environmental data remain key barriers to effective decision-making, further highlighting the importance of structured cooperation and knowledge exchange.
In this context, the AAC supports the development of harmonized methodologies for data collection, monitoring and analysis, contributing to improved comparability and usability of environmental data across the programme area. The Committee also provides input to key project outputs, including the Joint Action Plan and recommendations for the sustainable management of coastal, marine and lagoon ecosystems.
The BRAVE project is implemented through cross-border cooperation between Italy and Croatia, with the aim of enhancing the protection and preservation of biodiversity and promoting a more resilient Adriatic Sea. A key project output is the development of a shared smart digital platform for the collection, visualization and analysis of environmental data, designed to support policymakers, researchers and sectoral stakeholders in evidence-based decision-making.
Through its advisory and coordination role, the AAC strengthens collaboration between the scientific community, public authorities and economic sectors, including fisheries and aquaculture. It also contributes to raising awareness and fostering stakeholder engagement, ensuring that project results are relevant, applicable and sustainable beyond the project duration.
By facilitating knowledge exchange and supporting the development of common approaches, the Adriatic Advisory Committee represents an important element in advancing integrated and effective governance of the Adriatic marine environment.