Vulnerability assessment of the South-Lebanese coast: A GIS-based approach

Abstract

The sea-level rise phenomenon affects several socio-economic and ecological aspects worldwide, particularly in terms of coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion. While the Mediterranean region is showing an increase vulnerability to the sea-level rise, in this study, we implement the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI), between 2005 and 2013, on the Southern Lebanese coast. The selection of this study area is related to its commonly known vulnerable sandy beaches. The CVI is derived from six physical and geological variables that are estimated using Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing techniques. Results show that this eastern Mediterranean coast has a moderate (66% of its total lengths) to high coastal vulnerability (30% of its total lengths) to the sea-level rise. As predicted, sandy beaches in our study area represent the most vulnerable regions. On the other hand, an absence of a Pearson correlation between the amount of the sea level rise and the sea surface temperature, is shown. It is probably related to the direct human interference that eclipsed the climate change as the main driving force in that period (i.e. 2005–2013). In this context, we propose an intervention strategy that focuses on offering ’soft’ technics performed at the sandy beaches and in dune systems. Stakeholders are encouraged to implement this approach to combat the coastal vulnerability of these areas. And by applying the proposed method to other limited-resources/datasets countries, regional organizations and institutions could have vital information to reduce the impact of the SLR at a larger-scale.