Beach nourishment practice in mainland Portugal (1950–2017): Overview and retrospective

Abstract

A compilation of all beach nourishment projects conducted along mainland Portugal was made, totalizing 134 interventions up until 2017. The objectives, type of deposition, borrow area, responsible entities and geographic distribution of each intervention were identified and are herein briefly presented and discussed. Beach nourishments were mostly carried out to improve the stability of the coastline, as a mitigation measure for coastal erosion, and to increase beach width for recreational use, as a tool for adding value to the coast. Operations concentrated in: 1) urban areas where erosion can pose risks to people and assets, 2) close to river mouth/inlets where port structures are established, and 3) touristic areas with high recreational value. Port Administrations contributed most (in number and volume) for the nourishment operations (62% of all operations), favouring the placement of the dredged sediments on the nearshore, and, more recently, providing the sediment of opportunity for subaerial beach fills and/or dune reinforcement carried out in cooperation with the State Environment/Coastal Authorities. The increase in the number of beach nourishments was accompanied by a decrease in the number of "hard" coastal structures, concurring to the optimization of an integrated coastal sediment management policy, in a clear paradigm shift that started in the 90s in regard to the coastal protection/defence strategy. There is a growing awareness regarding the beneficial use of sediments dredged by Ports to counter the coastal sediment deficit, making coastal nourishments mainly supply-driven in mainland Portugal. Beach nourishment practice has evolved to be the major contributor to a regional and national-scale coastal protection strategy focused on coastal sediment management.