Coastal Erosion Risk Research Articles

The potency of salt marshes for enhancing climate change adaptation and mitigation: Case study Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract The purpose of this study is to gain an insight into how salt marshes in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, contribute to mitigation and adaptation to changing climates. Severe consequences from climate change are currently being experienced in Kulon Progo, such as bigger floods as well as problems to agriculture. Due to their location within land and sea, salt marshes provide an essential function of minimizing the risk of floods and coastal erosion in low-lying coastal areas. Additionally, these natural environments are very effective at storing carbon dioxide as they accumulate sediments which are rich in organic material. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate Kulon Progo’s salt marshes’ capacity for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Methodologically, it involves the analysis of the protective and carbon-sequestering roles of salt marshes by a review of the scientific literature along with analysis of secondary data from local government sources. The findings show that salt marshes in Kulon Progo greatly reduce flood risks and act as important carbon sinks, contributing to climate resilience and sustainability. The discussion focuses on the need of enhancing salt marsh protection into local climate actions and initiatives, emphasizing their dual function in safeguarding coastal towns from shoreline erosion and lowering atmospheric carbon levels. The findings indicate that protecting and restoring salt marshes could be a critical component in regional climate adaptation and mitigation plans, providing a nature-based solution to the complex issues due to climate change in coastal areas.

Changing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Health Impacts in an Outer Island in Kiribati: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: The objective of this research is to investigate climate change impacts and resilience strategies in an outer island community in Kiribati, a Pacific nation highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Originality: This research is the first ethnographic investigation in outer islands of Kiribati regarding the influence of climate change on the islanders’ life and health. Methodology: Using a qualitative, ethnographic approach, we explore community perceptions of climate change, health impacts, and local adaptations to environmental stressors. A purposive sampling of 48 households and five primary healthcare providers was conducted to gather insights into how residents experience and respond to challenges such as coastal erosion, water scarcity, food insecurity, and health risks. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in I-Kiribati and English, focusing on three core domains: perceptions of climate risk, identification of vulnerable groups, and the role of social networks in resilience. Result: The findings highlight a high level of climate change awareness, with participants describing the loss of land, increasingly unpredictable weather, and rising salinity as immediate threats to their livelihoods. Coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion have significantly reduced arable land and freshwater resources, forcing islanders to relocate and rely on communal water tanks. Health impacts include increased prevalence of waterborne diseases, respiratory issues, and heat stress, exacerbated by limited healthcare resources. Additionally, rising sea temperatures and ecological changes have disrupted fishing, a vital food source, leading to greater reliance on imported goods. Despite these challenges, social networks, known locally as “macoro,” play a crucial role in resilience, facilitating communal water sharing, labor for relocating homes, and collective resource management. However, the community also expresses climate anxiety and a desire for external support to develop sustainable adaptation strategies. Conclusions and Implication: The findings of this research underscore the need for culturally sensitive, community-driven adaptation policies that address the specific vulnerabilities of Kiribati’s outer islands. This study contributes to understanding resilience in Pacific atoll communities, highlighting the value of traditional support networks and the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate climate impacts and support adaptive capacity.

COASTAL EROSION VULNERABILITIES IN BATU PAHAT, JOHOR: AN ANALYSIS USING THE CERA METHOD

The coastal zones of Batu Pahat, Malaysia, are highly vulnerable to erosion due to their exposed sand-mud geomorphology, intensified by human activities and climate change. The aim of this research is to assess vulnerability of coastal erosion in Pantai Perpat, Pantai Punggur, and Pantai Parit Hailam using the Coastal Erosion Risk Assessment (CERA) tool. This study evaluates five key parameters: geomorphology, coastal defences, population density, infrastructure, and ecology to understand the area susceptibility and overall vulnerability. The CERA framework was applied to quantify erosion risks through a vulnerability assessment, using data from satellite imagery, statistical reports, and literature. A Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate model accuracy, with the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) calculated to validate the assessment. Results indicate that Pantai Perpat is the most vulnerable site, mainly due to its weak natural defences and nearest distance to infrastructure, while Pantai Punggur and Pantai Parit Hailam exhibit moderate risks. Geomorphology and coastal defences were identified as the most influential factors in determining vulnerability, highlighting the need for improved coastal protection measures. In conclusion, the research underscores the importance of strengthening both natural and artificial defences to mitigate erosion risks. Further studies are recommended to refine the CERA model, aiming for greater precision in coastal management strategies to protect vulnerable regions from future erosion.

ABRASION INVESTIGATION USING SHEAR WAVE VELOCITY AND POISSON’S RATIO APPROACHES IN URAI VILLAGE NORTH BENGKULU REGENCY

The coastal areas of North Bengkulu Regency, particularly Urai Village, have been severely impacted by widespread abrasion, posing a high risk of coastal erosion within Bengkulu Province. This study aims to assess the extent of coastal degradation and support disaster mitigation efforts by investigating the properties and structure of rocks using geophysical methods, specifically the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW). The research focuses on determining shear wave velocity (Vs) to model the rock layers and produce a stratigraphic profile with a minimal misfit value. The obtained Vs30 values, ranging from 146 m/s to 603 m/s, indicate that the coastal region primarily comprises soft soils, which are highly susceptible to deformation, including abrasion. These findings provide essential data for understanding the underlying causes of coastal erosion and contribute to future disaster mitigation strategies.

Understanding bimodal seas, shingle beach response and flood risk at Hayling Island, UK

Beach management through nourishment and annual recycling has been applied for over 37 years to manage flood and coastal erosion risk to 1700 properties at Eastoke, Hayling Island, UK. This form of natural flood risk management has proved successful in avoiding the annual flooding that blighted this area previously. However, there have been unexpected storm events that have caused beach erosion and localised flooding. Using long-term nearshore wave datasets and state-of-the-art statistical methods, new multi-variate extreme wave conditions were derived and applied to assess beach performance. Eastoke beach was found to meet its original design criteria of a 0.5% AEP standard of protection for unimodal wave conditions. However, it experiences greater rollback erosion, wave overwash and therefore flood inundation under certain (but not all) bimodal wave conditions, causing uncertainty around the future standard of protection. Communicating these inconsistencies to practitioners and a non-specialist audience is challenging as we tend to oversimplify, despite every beach and storm being unique. Better understanding of mixed beaches, both in situ and through parametric and numerical models, would reduce uncertainty to ensure communities are resilient to climate change.

Nine months of daily LiDAR, orthophotos and MetOcean data from the eroding soft cliff coast at Happisburgh, UK

The dynamic interaction between cliff, beach and shore-platform is key to assessing the sediment balance for coastal erosion risk assessments, but this is poorly understood. We present a dataset containing daily, 3D,colour LiDAR scans of a 450 m coastal section at Happisburgh, Norfolk, UK. This previously para-glaciated region comprises mixed sand-gravel sediments, which are less well-understood and well-studied than sandy beaches. From Apr-Dec 2019, 236 daily surveys were carried out. The dataset presented includes: survey areas, transects LiDAR scans, georeferenced orthophotos, meteorological- and oceanographical conditions during the Apr-Dec observation period. Full LiDAR point-clouds are available for 67 scans (Oct-Dec). Hourly time-series of offshore sea-state parameters (significant wave height, mean propagation direction, selected spectral periods) were obtained by downscaling the ERA5 global reanalysis data (global atmosphere, land surface and ocean waves) using the numerical model Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN). We indicate how to obtain hourly precipitation time-series by interpolating ERA5 data. This dataset is important for researchers understanding the interaction between cliff, beach and shore-platform in open-coast mixed-sand-gravel environments.

Policy priorities to enable engaged and transformational adaptation on the coast: Learning from practitioner experiences in England

Coastal communities and their environments are facing unprecedented changes, with climate change driving rising global mean sea level, exacerbating extreme sea level events, and increasing hazards. Whilst adaptations to change have been central to coastal life for millennia, climate change brings a speed and intensity of change not previously experienced. Researchers are noting that adaptations are needed that are large scale and systemic with significant changes to lives and livelihoods – Transformational Adaptations – yet there is little evidence of this in practice, and there remains an operationalisation gap between ambitions and actions. This paper uses a qualitative case study method to assess how existing policy may enable and inhibit local stakeholder involvement in transformational adaptation in English coastal flood and erosion risk management. Through twenty interviews with coastal management stakeholders, the capacity for local coastal management stakeholders to initiate transformational adaptation and the perceived involvement of residents are analysed. The results indicate that transformational adaptation remains a distant aspiration in the English coastal management system, with local stakeholders possessing limited capacity to initiate it. The perceived role for residents in adaptation processes is often focused on their being recipients of adaptation interventions, and there are a range of barriers to their further involvement. The paper concludes that despite the theoretical interest in transformational adaptation, there is limited evidence its implementation in English coastal flood and erosion risk management, and there are multiple priority areas for policy development to support capacity for engaged transformational adaptation practices in coastal management contexts.

Addressing risks to mental health from climate change: a policy capacity analysis of England

ABSTRACT Climate change and mental health are inextricably linked crises that demand urgent responses within the health sector and beyond. Mental health challenges associated with climate change are wide-ranging. They include depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress resulting from increased exposure to extreme weather events, generalized climate anxiety and indirect impacts. However, there is a significant adaptation gap when it comes to addressing the mental health risks posed by climate change. Lack of capacity is frequently cited as a barrier to adaptation, yet ‘capacity’ covers many facets. This article examines the capacities of policy systems to design and implement adaptation initiatives for addressing the increasing risks to mental health posed by climate change. Focusing on England (UK) as an illustrative case study, this article deploys a policy capacity framework and draws on semi-structured interviews and policy document analysis. It identifies the ways that analytical, operational and political policy (in)capacities manifest across relevant policy areas, which include health, flood and coastal erosion risk management, spatial planning, natural environment and emergency management. Our analysis reveals that despite some strengths in analytical and political capacity, strained operational capacity is exacerbating and reinforcing adaptation gaps. We also demonstrate some of the complex interactions between different types of capacities that both enable and hamper adaptation. This article demonstrates the value of analysing policy capacity, and its potential in identifying and designing the necessary interventions to help circumvent a growing mental health crisis under climate change. Key policy insights In England, efforts to adapt to risks to mental health under climate change are supported through strong analytical capacity, involving research and knowledge generation, education and training, particularly in the mental health sector and Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM). There is, however, room for improvement. Relatively strong political capacity, including advocacy and the role of policy champions, have led to increasing legitimation of the issue and fostered a growing policy landscape. However, some discernible gaps remain. There are significant weaknesses in operational capacity, restricting coordinated, preventative adaptation. This is partly due to significant resource constraints, and historic and current fragmentation within and between the health sector and others.

GIS-Based Analytical Hierarchy Process Modelling and Mapping of Erosion Vulnerability in the Coastal Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria

The problem of coastal erosion in rivers State Nigeria is a significant issue that has far-reaching consequences for the environment and local communities. Despite the efforts of previous research there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to erosion vulnerability and their relative importance, hindering effective decision-making and management practices aimed at mitigating the effects of coastal erosion in Rivers State. Therefore, this study aimed at a GIS-based analytical hierarchy process modeling and mapping of coastal erosion vulnerability in Rivers State, Nigeria. The objectives are to establish and classify the geophysical factors according to the levels of coastal erosion risk, calculate the reliability index of the classified geophysical factors, determine the coastal vulnerable areas across Rivers State using analytical hierarchical process and to produce a coastal vulnerability index map defining the extent of erosion vulnerability in Rivers State. The methodology comprises of the acquisition of primary and secondary data, image pre-processing, image classification, DEM processing, classification and standardization of factors, development of pairwise comparism, and weighted linear combination analysis. The study revealed three distinct coastal erosion vulnerability zones: high, moderate, and low vulnerability. The high vulnerability zone encompassed a total expanse of 545.29 square kilometers, constituting 6.38% of the study area. In contrast, the moderate and low vulnerability zones covered 1941.33 square kilometers and 6052.51 square kilometers, respectively, making up 22.73% and 70.89% of the total area. Bonny (139.28 sq km) was ranked as the most vulnerable due to its role as an oil and gas hub. Degema (111.28 sq km) ranked second and requires urgent erosion control. Okrika and Andoni (71.73 sq km and 62.20 sq km) were third and fourth respectively. It is recommended that an advocate for the systematic approach to coastal vulnerability zoning be introduced in the study. The categorization of areas into high, moderate, and low vulnerability zones provides a standardized framework for assessing coastal regions' susceptibility to erosion. This approach can be applied to other regions to facilitate consistent vulnerability assessments.

Investigation on the Confined Breakage Characteristics of Calcareous Sand in the South China Sea Integrated Using Relative Breakage Ratio and Fractal Dimension

Calcareous sand, ubiquitous in the geotechnical makeup of the South China Sea, exhibits both compressibility and vulnerability to fragmentation when subjected to external loading, spanning a spectrum from typical to extreme conditions. This investigation aims to quantitatively assess the compression and particle breakage characteristics of calcareous sand under varied parameters, including relative density, saturation, applied loads, and loading paths, specifically focusing on sustainable geotechnical methodologies. Through a series of confined compression tests, this evaluation employed the relative breakage ratio and fractal dimension as key evaluative metrics. The results indicated that employing this integrated approach offered a more comprehensive understanding of calcareous sand breakdown mechanisms than relying on a singular particle breakage index. Furthermore, an increase in relative density can induce a transition in particle contact behavior, shifting from point-to-point interactions to face-to-face contact, thereby reducing inter-particle stress and minimizing grain breakage, particularly under loads below 200 kPa. Increasing loads exacerbated particle breakage, with finer particles predominantly initiating this process. During reloading, pore ratios across various load levels surpass those observed during initial loading, except at 1600 kPa, where a decline in pore ratio was noted, coinciding with pore water extrusion and the onset of new particle fracturing. The lubricating effect of water reduces inter-particle friction, enhancing stress concentration at particle edges and localized particle breakage, thereby increasing the presence of finer particles without significantly altering the overall structure. Notably, the influence of pore water pressure is evident during the reloading phase. These findings contribute to a refined theoretical framework for predicting coastal erosion risks and devising effective environmental protection strategies for sustainable coastal engineering practices.

Multi-scenario analysis in the Apulia shoreline: A multi-tiers analytical framework for the combined evaluation and management of coastal erosion and water quality risks

Ongoing climate change is causing threats to coastal areas, according to scenarios of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The coastal areas are becoming highly exposed to erosion as a direct consequence of natural and anthropogenic processes that occur at different spatial-temporal scales. Against this interplay, coastal managers are calling for integrated tools supporting a multi-scenario evaluation of risks arising from natural and anthropogenic stress. A multi-tier analytical framework, exploiting the openly available Earth Observation databases, was developed, allowing the combination of remote sensing, GIS and Bayesian Network to evaluate the probability and uncertainty of coastal erosion risks and connected water quality variation, against ‘what-if’ scenarios, representing different management measures (i.e., Nature-Based Solution) and climate change impacts (e.g., higher incident waves due to increased storminess). Based on the available data for the Municipality of Ugento (Italy), the designed framework was applied over the 2009–2018 timeframe, allowing to capture local-scale shoreline erosion dynamics and driving forces. Results from scenario analysis revealed, to a minor extent, a nexus between oceanographic drivers, shoreline evolution, and water quality changes, with increasing probability of high erosion/accretion and higher turbidity under the simulated rising maximum significant wave height. However, the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (i.e., circular approach exploiting beached Posidonia oceanica leaves) resulted in significant positive effects, stabilizing the shoreline by reducing high erosion and accretion rates. Despite data constraints, outcomes of the performed assessment could represent valuable information to drive adaptive policy pathways in the context of coastal management along the Ugento shoreline.

Talking ‘bout a revolution: resilience and coastal policy in England

ABSTRACT Sea defence policy in England has proven contentious in the early twenty-first century, with government willing to defend the coast only where it is considered cost effective and not minded to compensate people for any resulting abandonment of homes. Additional focus is brought to this position by the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which reflect a growing emphasis on climate change effects and other environmental hazards, and the wellbeing of the current generation and those to come. This requires policy makers to seek to balance economic, social and environmental dimensions, and to tackle inequalities; with a central commitment of the goals to “leave no one behind”. Subsequent to publication of the SDGs, England was promised a revolution in the government’s approach to Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM). This paper seeks to understand the nature of this revolution with particular regard to extant issues around just governance. It finds that policy fails to deal with issues over the local acceptability of proposals for change and the bearing of risk, and instead lies principally in the elevation of the problematic concept of resilience and an accompanying ambivalence towards ideas of sustainability and sustainable development. International agreement that compensation should be paid to those countries suffering the worst effects of climate change, including sea level rise, suggests that adoption of a similar approach to vulnerable homeowners might be the more appropriate revolution and bring policy more into line with the aspirations of the SDGs.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for coastal protection assessment: A study of detached breakwater and groins at Marawila Beach, Sri Lanka

Coastal protection plays a vital role in mitigating coastal hazards and erosion risks. However, the effectiveness of various global coastal protection structures is questionable due to the uncertainties they face. Many developing countries struggle to evaluate the long-term productivity and efficiency of these structures, primarily due to the lack of reliable and affordable monitoring methods. To address this problem, this study used an approach based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for coastal monitoring to assess the effectiveness of coastal protection structures on Marawila Beach, Sri Lanka, where different structures have been implemented. The UAV imagery was analyzed using photogrammetric techniques as a pilot study to estimate shoreline changes, erosion rates, and sediment transport patterns. The results demonstrated that coastal protection structures significantly reduced erosion rates and sediment transport compared to unprotected areas. Among the structures, the detached breakwater proved to be the most effective in reducing erosion rates and sediment transport, while the groins showed moderate effectiveness. This study's findings significantly contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of coastal protection structures and highlight the value of UAV-based coastal monitoring as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional methods.

GIS and RS Based Monitoring of Bank Erosion Along with Meghna River at Bhola, Bangladesh

One of the common and unpredictably occurring disasters Bangladesh experiences each year is river bank erosion. In Meghna River, erosion is a major issue, particularly during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons. The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk of coastal erosion to the local community by analyzing previous as well as present data. Four Landsat images were utilized in this study to detect changes in the river bank. ArcGIS 10.3 was used for data encoding and analysis. According to the study, the Meghna River's overall changing area from 1992 to 2022 is 21210.38 ha, whereas its overall unchanged area is 56454.18 ha. The study found that, between 1992 and 2022, there was an average erosion rate of 16137.89 ha and an average accretion rate of 37348.27 ha. The people who live in the floodplain are severely impacted by the erosion of the Meghna River bank. Therefore, it is imperative to take appropriate steps to minimize erosion, such as building sustainable embankments, implementing an afforestation program, providing suitable income-generating opportunities for displaced people, etc.

Disaster Mitigation Model for Sustainable Tourism Development at the Nam Salu Openpit Geosite: Insights from the Belitong UNESCO Global Geopark

This research aims to develop an effective disaster mitigation model to support sustainable tourism development at the Nam Salu Openpit Geosite, which is an integral part of the Belitong UNESCO Global Geopark. The qualitative approach method uses descriptive methods through case studies, namely the Open Pit Nam Salu (OPNS) geosite. The results of research conducted regarding the Open Pit Nam Salu (OPNS) Geosite in East Belitung revealed that the potential threat of disaster to this tourist site is very significant. The main factors influencing the vulnerability of OPNS Geosites to natural disasters include ecosystem damage due to unmanaged mining activities, changes in the landscape caused by intensive mining practices, and disruption of slope stability due to excessive exploitation of natural resources. In addition, climate change can also worsen the risk of disasters, including landslides and coastal erosion. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out structured disaster mitigation measures, including an early warning system, emergency management training, regular risk mapping, evacuation planning, development of a disaster information center, as well as education and public awareness programs to maintain the sustainability of the OPNS Geosite as a safe tourist destination. and sustainable.

COASTAL WAVE OVERTOPPING: NEW NOWCAST AND MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES

It is projected that global mean sea level could rise up to 1 m this century with a strong regional pattern. It is estimated that 20percent of England’s coastal defenses could fail under just half this rise. Ambitious climate mitigation and adaptation plans may protect 400,000 – 500,000 people, but flood and coastal erosion risks cannot be fully eliminated. Building coastal climate resilience requires accurate wave overtopping prediction tools and nowcast information to prepare for and respond to coastal hazards. In Dawlish, SW England, a new monitoring system to measure concurrent beach level and wave overtopping conditions over a 1-year period was installed. The system obtains in-situ measurements of the inland wave overtopping distribution across a public walkway and railway line, and issues near real-time overtopping data to the British Oceanographic Data Centre, making it accessible online within 15 minutes of detection. This public web service also ingests near-real time wave and water level data from existing national coastal monitoring networks, providing a full dataset to validate and calibrate an operational wave, water-level and overtopping forecast system. Using these data, the numerical forecasts have been refined by incorporating recent beach levels to reduce the uncertainty in the wave overtopping predictions due to seasonal variability in the beach level at the toe of the sea wall.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSITIONAL CLIMATE REGIONS ON COASTAL RISK

The latest report of the IPCC-AR6 warned that coastal regions are one of the most vulnerable areas in the current climate emergency. In response, the knowledge concerning projected climatic-impact drivers (total water level, average and extreme waves) is rapidly progressing to reduce future coastal flooding and erosion risks. Climate change also shifts atmospheric circulation and affects the climate regions and their surrounding areas. This study aims to identify transitional wave climate regions and proposes a map of these critical areas. A spatial-temporal and multivariate analysis, based on Machine Learning approaches, was used to classify the wave parameters into climates for the end of the century (2081-2099) under the RCP8.5 scenario.

COLLABORATIVE LIVING LABORATORIES TO INFORM CANADIAN DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR COASTAL NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have been widely applied for managing coastal flood and erosion risk (Bridges et al. 2021). However, they are underutilized in Canada, owing to a variety of factors including, e.g.: (i) uncertainty surrounding the performance of different nature-based solutions across Canada’s diverse coastal climates, geographies, and land uses; and (ii) the lack of authoritative, regionally appropriate design guidance (Vouk et al. 2021). The Nature-based Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience and Risk Reduction project is bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of Canadian researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to develop an improved understanding of the performance of nature-based shore protection systems in diverse Canadian coastal environments. The project involves conducting synchronized and coordinated parallel research activities – laboratory experiments, field monitoring, and numerical modelling – centered on multiple pilot sites along Canada’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Assessment of shoreline changes and associated erosion and accretion pattern in coastal watersheds of Tamil Nadu, India

The coastal region is not a constant and depends on several physical elements. Analogous to the world trend, the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu are encountering sea level rise and associated shoreline changes. However, the rate of change is not uniform and varies considerably. The study revealed such differences in shoreline changes during the past 30 years and identified erosion and accretion patterns trends in Tamil Nadu's coastal watersheds, from Pulicat (Thiruvallur district) to Kodyar (Kanyakumari district). The study used remotely sensed Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) and OLI (Operational Land Imager) datasets to analyse shoreline changes from 1988 to 2018. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool is used to derive trends of shoreline changes by End Point Rate (EPR) and Net Shoreline Movement (NSM). The mean EPR is- 0.26 ​m/yr and NSM is-8.03 ​m/yr, suggesting the overall shoreline of the Tamil Nadu coast is shifting landward. However, the annual rates of EPR and NSM vary considerably from watershed to watershed, and therefore, these indices were used to categorise the coastal watersheds based on erosions and accretions. The results identified a high erosion rate in the watersheds of Coleroon, Arasalar (Nagapattinam), Gundar (Ramanathapuram), Vembar, Lower Vaippar (Thoothukkudi), Nambiyar, Hanuma (Tirunelveli), and Putian, Kodyar (Kanyakumari). Field surveys were conducted to verify ground conditions at 139 random locations along the 1000 ​km shoreline stretch. About 75% of respondents said they experience a very high to high risk of coastal erosion. The rates estimated by the study and categorisation of the coastal watersheds could be most helpful in evaluating the cumulative impact of coastal hazards and preparing sustainable development plans. The outcomes may also help to create awareness in more susceptible areas.

COAST4US: APPLICATION OF THE COAST TOOL TO THE PORTUGUESE WEST COASTLINE

Over the years, people have been settling in coastal areas, as they provide opportunities, both economically and in terms of well-being and leisure. However, the coastline is also exposed to serious problems of coastal erosion, particularly on urban fronts, increasing the consequences derived from adjacent phenomena such as overtopping and flooding. It is therefore essential to deepen the study of strategies for the prediction, prevention and mitigation of this phenomenon. In this sense, COAST (Coast Optimization Assessment Tool), a tool for integrated cost-benefit analysis of coastal interventions to mitigate erosion problems, was developed. The COAST4US project - Application of the COAST tool to the Portuguese coast - aims to contribute to the feasibility of applying this tool in real situations, contributing to an efficient mitigation of coastal erosion, and providing decision makers with more and better information. The project proposes to apply COAST to three stretches of coastline at high risk of coastal erosion on the Portuguese west coast: Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, and Costa de Caparica. The project is divided in several tasks, including scenario modeling, cost prediction and benefit assessment, being this work focused on benefit assessment by estimating the value of each beach, and analyzing the effectiveness of three nourishment scenarios.