An integrated approach to beach management in Lido di Dante, Italy

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present an integrated approach to coastal zone management and the benefits derived from the synergy of different monitoring methodologies. Lido di Dante, Italy, was selected for this purpose because it suffers from great erosion and is well documented under engineering, socio-economic and ecological aspects (it was one of DELOS Project case studies). The paper presents the relation among the most relevant results obtained in the site. First, effects of shore protection works and wave climate on beach morphology are examined by analysing field measurements of waves and currents together with hydrodynamic simulations and bathymetry surveys in the area. Then, socio-economic impact of coastal defence is documented by the statistics derived from face-to-face interviews that provided beach valuation and user preferences. Finally, abundance and type of organisms on the rocky structures, based on results from ecological surveys, are related to the intensity distribution of wave and current flows around and over the structure. The complex interaction among the beach, the structures, the hydrodynamics, the eco-system and the society is discussed and the necessity of multi-disciplinary guidelines for constructing beach defences is enhanced.