Coastal Zone Management Policy Research Articles

Analysis of Extreme Weather Events in Coastal Regions in Mozambique

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate on the analysis of extreme weather events in coastal regions in Mozambique. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In Mozambique, coastal regions are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change. Analysis indicates a rise in extreme precipitation events, with a significant increase in the potential for heavier rainfall due to warmer air temperatures, which can hold more moisture. This trend is likely to result in more frequent intense weather events, heightening the risk of flooding. Socio-economic disparities exacerbate the impact of these events, particularly in rural areas with limited infrastructure and preparedness. Efforts to integrate climate change into the developmental agenda are crucial for enhancing resilience and preparedness against these growing risks. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Complexity theory, resilience theory & governance theory may be used to anchor future studies on analysis of extreme weather events in coastal regions in Mozambique. Implement and enhance early warning systems tailored to coastal hazards, including storm surges, hurricanes, and sea-level rise. Advocate for integrated coastal zone management policies that incorporate climate resilience considerations into coastal development planning. Policies should support adaptive governance frameworks that facilitate coordinated responses across multiple sectors and levels of government.

Coastal habitat quality assessment and mapping in the terrestrial-marine continuum: Simulating effects of coastal management decisions

Assessment and mapping of coastal habitat quality are critical for integrated coastal zone management. However, in the coastal zone, characterized as a terrestrial-marine continuum, few studies have incorporated land-sea connections while mapping and predicting the quality of habitats. In this study, we propose a novel framework that integrates an ecosystem service assessment model and global ecosystem classification, and within this framework, the cross-system threats from both ocean- and land-based human activities were considered. On this basis, by linking the threat sources of habitat quality with management policy scenarios, the prediction of habitat quality across land and sea was realized. Xiamen Bay, a typical intensively developed bay in Southeast China, was used as a case study. Thirteen habitat types and 12 threats were identified in the upland/supratidal, intertidal, and subtidal zones of Xiamen Bay. Each threat affected habitats in at least two coastal zone subdivisions. The results showed that by 2030, 26.9% of the total habitat area is expected to decline in quality, while 16.9% will improve. Intertidal habitats are especially vulnerable to multiple threats. Our study revealed a strong negative correlation between threat intensity and habitat quality changes. Eight of the 12 threats will be changed by the five coastal management policies, and six types of habitats are potential beneficiaries. Overall, local coastal zone management strategies will contribute to enhance the quality of intertidal and subtidal habitats, whereas upland/supratidal zone are anticipated to experience a decline. The tourism development policy may have negative impacts on all 13 habitats and cover the largest area, while the aquaculture regulation policy is expected to yield the greatest benefits. We revealed that cross-system threats are prevalent in coastal zone habitats, making it possible for coastal zone management policies to have cross-system impacts. The tool developed herein can support integrated coastal zone management in the terrestrial-marine continuum and facilitate effective decision-making.

Impact of Spatial Segmentation on the Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability—Insights and Practical Recommendations

Coastal areas are dynamic multidimensional systems challenged by the complex interactions between natural, environmental, and human-induced pressures, as well as the ever-changing climate. A comprehensive evaluation of their spatial and temporal features enables the development of effective practices required to apply integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) policies. ICZM seeks to address the vulnerability of coastal areas in an attempt to mitigate their weaknesses and increase their resilience. Hence, coastal vulnerability assessment is a prerequisite to proceed with optimal adaptation or upgrading actions. Currently, assessments are performed by considering different approaches related to dividing coastal areas into segments to observe the spatial variations of vulnerability. The present research seeks to investigate the impact of the spatial segmentation of coastal areas on the assessment of their vulnerability. To achieve this, a case study of the coastal zone of the Municipality of Thebes, located in the Northeastern Corinthian Gulf, Greece, is examined. Five segmentation approaches are applied in terms of a physical-based vulnerability assessment for two different time horizons, (a) the present and (b) the future, by incorporating the climate change impacts. This study allows for optimizing practices to estimate vulnerability parameters and obtain reliable results for practical applications while reducing time-consuming analyses.

Stakeholder engagement in coastal adaptation interventions: Insights from the Southwest coast of Nigeria

Coastal areas in developing nations are in a highly precarious situation, making adaptation an urgent policy option for the region. However, since the ultimate success of many implemented adaptation decisions may only be known once the evolving impacts of climate change test them, greater attention may be devoted to the decision-making processes that shape adaptation choices. This study, therefore, focused on the stakeholder engagement process, which as an integral component of the adaptation process, unifies the efforts, commitments, and knowledge of different individuals and groups toward the implementation and success of coastal adaptation projects. The study applied an integrated approach comprising Stakeholder Analysis and Social Network Analysis tools to identify, categorize, and map stakeholders' relationships on the Southwest coast of Nigeria. The result highlights the multiplicity of stakeholders across administrative levels. Furthermore, it shows the disconsolate interest and detachment of statutory stakeholders notwithstanding their powers while portraying the high degree of local relations (autonomous communities and trade associations). The result further highlights the widespread adoption of public consultation as the approach of choice for stakeholder engagement, notwithstanding its flaws. The study's implications are evident in the prevalence of autonomously undertaken adaptation strategies that are overly narrowly focused, disjointed, and counterproductive. Addressing this issue must start with formulating a coastal zone management policy and establishing a coastal zone management agency as the coordinating body for all coastal matters across the study area.

Wave climate projections along the Indian coast

AbstractFuture changes in wave climate will influence the marine ecosystem, coastal erosion, design of coastal defences, operation of near‐ and off‐shore structures, and coastal zone management policies and may further add to the potential vulnerabilities of coastal regions to projected sea level rise. Many studies have reported changes in the global wave characteristics under climate change scenarios, but it is important to project future changes in local/regional wave climate for smooth implementation of policies and preventing severe coastal erosion and flooding. In this study the regional wave climate along the Indian coast for two time slices, 2011–2040 and 2041–2070, is reported using an ensemble of near‐surface winds generated by four different CMIP5 general circulation models (GCMs), under RCP4.5 scenario. Comparison of the wave climate for the two time slices shows an increase in wave heights and periods along much of the Indian coast, with the maximum wave heights increasing by more than 30% in some locations. An important finding is that at most locations along the east coast, wave periods are expected to increase by almost 20%, whereas along the west coast an increase of around 10% is expected. This will alter the distribution of wave energy at the shoreline through changes in wave refraction and diffraction, with potential implications for the performance and design of coastal structures and swash‐aligned beaches. Furthermore, the computations show material changes in the directional distribution of waves. This is particularly important in determining the longshore transport of sediments and can lead to realignment of drift‐aligned beaches, manifesting itself as erosion and/or siltation problems. This study is a preliminary contribution towards regional climate projections for the Indian Ocean region which are needed to plan and mitigate the impacts of future climate change.

Tracking annual changes of coastal tidal flats in China during 1986–2016 through analyses of Landsat images with Google Earth Engine

Tidal flats (non-vegetated area), along with coastal vegetation area, constitute the coastal wetlands (intertidal zone) between high and low water lines, and play an important role in wildlife, biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles. However, accurate annual maps of coastal tidal flats over the last few decades are unavailable and their spatio-temporal changes in China are unknown. In this study, we analyzed all the available Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI imagery (~44,528 images) using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform and a robust decision tree algorithm to generate annual frequency maps of open surface water body and vegetation to produce annual maps of coastal tidal flats in eastern China from 1986 to 2016 at 30-m spatial resolution. The resulting map of coastal tidal flats in 2016 was evaluated using very high-resolution images available in Google Earth. The total area of coastal tidal flats in China in 2016 was about 731,170 ha, mostly distributed in the provinces around Yellow River Delta and Pearl River Delta. The interannual dynamics of coastal tidal flats area in China over the last three decades can be divided into three periods: a stable period during 1986–1992, an increasing period during 1993–2001 and a decreasing period during 2002–2016. The resulting annual coastal tidal flats maps could be used to support sustainable coastal zone management policies that preserve coastal ecosystem services and biodiversity in China.

Failure to protect beaches under slowly rising sea level

Coastal land use in the USA is regulated by a chain of integrated federal to local policies that emphasize preservation of open space, public access, and the environment. Are these policies prepared to achieve lawfully stated objectives under accelerating sea level rise? To test the efficacy of these policies during the past century of slowly rising sea level, and thus their potential effectiveness under future accelerated sea level rise, we quantify land use on a section of windward Oʻahu coast, 1928–2015. Data show a shift from stable/accreting shorelines and wide beaches, to expanding erosion and beach loss concurrent with increasing development and seawall construction; trends at odds with policy objectives. Shoreline hardening increased 63%. Net shoreline change shifted from stable/accreting to erosional on 74% of the coast. More than 45% of this shift was due to flanking (erosion triggered by nearby hardening). Five geomorphic settings were analyzed. Prior to local coastal policy, from 1928 to 1975, headland beaches were mildly erosional with average change rates − 0.07 ± 0.1 m/yr. Beaches in all other geomorphic categories accreted. Between 1975 and 2015, following enactment of coastal zone management policy, average change in all geomorphologies shifted to erosional, coastal development and seawall construction expanded, average beach width declined. Today, nearly 20% of beach length has been lost; 55% of beaches have narrowed. Failure to achieve policy goals under slow, historic sea level rise (1.2 to 1.4 mm/yr) implies preserving beaches, open space, and public access will require new policies, or more effective ways for implementing existing policies, in a future characterized by accelerated sea level rise.

Morphological changes in the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea using remote sensing and GIS

Coastal areas are continuously under the regional changing and interaction of land-sea resulting in the short and long terms deformation. Study of beach morphology has been one of the most important issues in coastal engineering research projects. Managing and controlling the shoreline changes and behavior are essential for all marine projects and integrated coastal zone management policy in such environments. In the present study, Guilan Province region was selected and an analysis of the coastal zone behavior was carried out based on the available satellite images. According to results, we estimated the bed level changes and also submerged area, resulting from a rise in sea level at different locations in the study area (from Anzali Port to Boujagh National Park) and compared them with those obtained from the satellite images. The results were presented graphically and changes in shorelines were estimated using ETM+ sensors and OLI images from 2002 to 2013 which can be used for site selection and design of marine structures and establishing a data base for the coastal zone in the study region. Laplacian filter was applied to satellite images to establish the shoreline and to clarify the effect of ports and coastal structures constructed in the study region on beach and shoreline morphological changes. This study is a combination of remote sensing and GIS systems with field surveys on the ground. The innovation of this work is the application of Laplacian filter for shoreline detection and estimation of the sediment deposition area by calculating the distance between the observed shorelines. This will lead to the better understanding of the effect of coastal structures on the beach morphology using satellite images. The results show the remarkable changes occurred in the shoreline due to the environmental and human-based effects during the eleven years period. The present study can be considered as a contribution to the existing knowledge of the coastal process in the study area and referred to as a basis for the future coastal research projects.

Integrated coastal zone management in Italy: a gap between science and policy

This paper introduces the need, in Italian countries, of a real integration of scientific knowledge into coastal policy. Actually, in Italy, still exists a gap between Science and Policy, interfering the implementation of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) process, while there is no coordination between local, regional and national authorities. This lack of an overall strategy has induced some regions to adopt regional plans for the sustainable development of their coastal areas, to compensate the shortcomings of a national planning. Besides, along Italian coasts, there is a heavy landscape urbanization producing conditions of environmental decay and highlighting the risk of erosions in littoral areas. In this critical context, it is necessary to adopt an effective Integrated Coastal Zone Management policy, to connect ecosystem and environmental approaches with the social and economic development of coastal areas. So, in Italian landscape, it is necessary to integrate the national cultural heritage into coastal management, joining scientific and cultural issues. In this framework, ICZM process could play an important role connecting scientists and policy makers towards an effective integration for the social and economic growth of local people.

Challenges in mainstreaming climate change into productive coastal sectors in a Small Island State – The case of Trinidad and Tobago

In ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Trinidad and Tobago gave its commitment to contribute towards mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and instituting measures for adapting to climate change impacts. Formulation of a National Climate Change Policy subsequently took place with a view to providing direction towards fulfilling UNFCCC obligations.The National Climate Change Policy identified that coastal areas of Trinidad and Tobago were particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. As a small island State, the country cannot afford its productive sectors operating in and/or reliant upon coastal resources to be at risk, even as some contribute to the climate change phenomenon. The increasing threat to socio-cultural, economic and environmental sustainability posed by climate change, was acknowledged in the Draft National Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Policy Framework which aims to treat with climate change impacts in the coastal zone and reduce vulnerability to associated hazards.Given the stated objectives of the National Climate Change Policy and the Draft National ICZM Policy Framework, this paper examined the policy and plans in place to integrate climate change considerations into management for the coastal sectors of fisheries, energy, tourism and maritime transport. It found that the mainstreaming of climate change mitigation and adaptation responses in these coastal sectors has not been as effective as needed. Progress in this regard was constrained by human, financial and technical resource availability. Proposed are rationalised institutional arrangements which, if statutorily grounded, will better allow for achieving co-ordinated climate change mitigation and adaptation outcomes in Trinidad and Tobago.

Three Most Widely Used GNSS-Based Shoreline Monitoring Methods to Support Integrated Coastal Zone Management Policies

Three Most Widely Used GNSS-Based Shoreline Monitoring Methods to Support Integrated Coastal Zone Management Policies

A Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) approach for assessment of coastal zone management practice in India

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of coastal zone management practice through a political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental (PESTLE) approach and by reviewing relevant literature. Various geo-morphological features and coastal resources of India and major threats on coastal areas were highlighted. The article also highlights the transition of coastal zone management policies of India and their impacts on the coastal areas and ecosystems. Attempting to cite examples for the efforts taken for environmental protection from historical past to the recent developing era, the article also describes the present framework and addresses the strengths and challenges and concludes with some suggestions for an effective coastal zone management in India.

English

Climatic variation is the important factor for sea level rise and associated problems such as increased coastal erosion, inundation, flooding due to storm surges and salt water intrusion along the coastal zone. Nagapattinam Taluk having coastal length 30.0 (km) of coastline including ecologically and socio economically important low lying coastal wetlands and deltaic plain should also be prepared for the impacts of sea level rise as well as other impact of climate change. Thus, a coastal vulnerability assessment for the Nagapattinam areas to sea level rise is the order of the day. Both coastal zone management policies for sustainable development and guidelines for resource allocation of adaptation options for upcoming problems due to sea level rise, as a scientific approach to coastal vulnerability assessment a coastal vulnerability matrix and a corresponding coastal vulnerability index of a region to sea level rise were developed. In the development of matrix and the index, indicators of impacts for sea level rise in which the commonly available datasets were used. The coastal vulnerability assessment model is used to determine the vulnerability of Nagapatinam coast. By implementing the CVI (SLR) to test the coastal areas, the sensitive of the model is tested. The results shows that, the model can be successfully incorporate with the local properties, with expected impacts of sea level rise and provide important information on the increased coastal erosion, salt water intrusion in the coastal region, especially for the decision makers for optimum resource allocation and adaptation planning.

Managing the Indian coast in the face of disasters & climate change: a review and analysis of India’s coastal zone management policies

Serious attempts have been made to manage the highly populated Indian coast during the last 25 years in terms of regulating the activities and managing disasters. This has lead to formulation of various policies to maintain environmental quality and sustainably manage the coastal resources. Basically, the coastal zone needs to address the demands of all the stakeholders starting from traditional local communities, administrators, to academic researchers etc. India has faced tremendous challenges in implementing regulatory measures like Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) issued in 1991 by demarcating countries coast in to four different zones with provisions and prohibitions for various activities. The concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) has been taken with the support of spatial decision-support tools derived from satellite data including national programmes on inter-sectoral approaches towards ICZM. 2004 onwards a series of disasters have reminded the necessity of having regulatory measures through implementable approaches. Subsequently, the CRZ 2011 notification has been a new addition to the list of policies using bottom-up approach as a good governance tool. The country has strengthened its potential in coastal management, disaster management and several community based field projects to enhance participation of stakeholders. This paper is aimed to critically review the processes that are made during the last two decades including the future challenges towards sustainable management of coastal zone with special emphasis on the three coastal areas from eastern, western and southern coast of India.

Future land-use change scenarios for the Black Sea catchment

Plausible future scenarios have been created for the Black Sea catchment, focussing on spatially explicit alternatives for land-use changes. Four qualitative storylines (HOT, ALONE, COOP and COOL) were first developed, based on interpretation of the respective global scenarios (A1, A2, B1 and B2) produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Quantitative statistical downscaling techniques were then used to disaggregate the outputs of global scenarios at a regional level. The resulting land-use maps were spatially allocated at 1 km resolution in the Metronamica model, using a set of factors related to the identified drivers of change. The land-use change model was calibrated on historical trends of land-cover change (MODIS 2001 and 2008) translated into spatial allocation rules, and future land-use projections (IMAGE, 2001) were adopted. Suitability and constraint maps and population trends were used to regulate the modelling process. The calibrated model was validated by statistical procedures, visual evaluation and stakeholder involvement in order to ensure its plausibility and accuracy. This methodology bridged the gap between the global and regional scales. Four simulated future states were produced for the main land-use classes–forest, grassland, cropland and built-up areas, as well as scrublands, crops/natural vegetation and barren land–for 2025 and 2050. The results suggest that the features highlighted in these scenarios are guided by global trends, such as population rise and decreasing agriculture, but with different growth rates and a variety of spatial patterns, with regional variations resulting from local backgrounds and policy objectives. This study aims to provide future land-use data as a potential geographical tool to assist policy makers in addressing environmental emergencies such as water stress and pollution. In particular, the exploration of plausible futures can support future assessments to comply with the EU Water Framework Directive and Integrated Coastal Zone Management policies around the Black Sea.

Social capital and citizen perceptions of coastal management for tackling climate change impacts in Greece

There is a growing consensus among researchers that social aspects and the involvement of local communities play a critical role in public decision-making processes in the coastal zone. Social capital is a parameter which has recently gained significant attention in this context. It is regarded that it has a significant influence on the adaptation capacity of local communities to climate change impacts. The present paper aims to contribute to this field through an examination of citizens’ perceptions of three coastal zone management policies (hold the line, managed realignment and no active intervention) along with the influence of social capital on the level of social acceptability for these proposed policy options. For this purpose, a quantitative empirical study was conducted for the first time in five coastal areas of Greece that are regarded as high flood-risk areas due to sea-level rise. Respondents demonstrated that they are willing to accept changes in their social and natural environments in order to confront sea-level rise and are more positive towards the managed realignment option, as long as this is accompanied by financial compensation for those whose properties will be affected. Regarding the influence of social capital, through the results of an ordinal regression, it was observed that institutional and social trust influence positively citizens’ level of agreement for the managed realignment policy. Furthermore, respondents who believe that a sense of reciprocity exists in their community are also more willing to accept active intervention policies.

Medium resolution satellite imagery as a tool for monitoring shoreline change. Case study of the Eastern coast of Ghana

ABSTRACT Jayson-Quashigah, P-N., Appeaning Addo, K. and Kufogbe, S.K., 2013. Shoreline monitoring using medium resolution satellite imagery, a case study of the eastern coast of Ghana. Shoreline change analysis provides important information upon which most coastal zone management and intervention policies rely. Such information is however mostly scarce for large and inaccessible shorelines largely due to expensive field work. This study investigated the potential of medium resolution satellite imagery for mapping shoreline positions and for estimating historic rate of change. Both manual and semi-automatic shoreline extraction methods for multi-spectral satellite imageries were explored. Five shoreline positions were extracted for 1986, 1991, 2001, 2007 and 2011 covering a medium term of 25 years period. Rates of change statistics were calculated using the End Point Rate and Weighted Linear Regression methods. Approximately 283 transects were cast at simple right angles along the entire coast at 200m int...

Tourist-beach protection in north-eastern Sicily (Italy)

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and tourism represents the most important income in the regional budget. This is due to a mild climate, to its considerable archaeological and cultural heritage, but above all to the beaches, which host visitors for most of the year. Nevertheless, Sicily has no official Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) policy and also lacks an overall plan for coastal protection. In 2000, however, driven by the EU, a process of selection of projects based on objective parameters was initiated. Not all of these projects have had the expected results and some are yet to be completed. One of these is Giardini Naxos, Taormina beach, one of the main tourist resorts in Sicily. There, due both to the incorrect position of the port structure and to the rapidly increasing coastal urbanization (second homes, hotels and waterfront), a process of coastal erosion has started, the beach has disappeared, and the promenade has been damaged. To rebuild the shore in order to protect the structures behind it and to restore the coast for beach goers, a submerged barrier (like a reef) was designed to protect an artificial beach replenishment using local and remote sands, mined from the continental platform bottom and compatible both in terms of composition and grain size. Even though the results were excellent during the first stages of the project, towards the end, financial support disappeared and the funds were allocated to other projects. This experience in Giardini Naxos illustrates the ineffectiveness of defensive action in the absence of coastal planning that takes into account the sustainability of interventions on a regional basis both from a structural and an economic standpoint.

Quantitative Analysis of Shoreline Change Using Medium Resolution Satellite Imagery in Keta, Ghana

Shoreline change analysis provides important information upon which most coastal zone management and intervention policies rely. Such information is however mostly scarce for large and inaccessible shorelines largely due to expensive field work. This study investigated the reliability of medium resolution satellite imagery for mapping shoreline positions and for estimating historic rate of change. Both manual and semi-automatic shoreline extraction methods for multi-spectral satellite imageries were explored. Five shoreline positions were extracted for 1986, 1991, 2001, 2007 and 2011 covering a medium term of 25 years period. Rates of change statistics were calculated using the End Point Rate and Weighted Linear Regression methods. Approximately 283 transects were cast at simple right angles along the entire coast at 200m interval. Uncertainties were quantified for the shorelines ranging from ±4.1m to ±5.5m. The results show that the Keta shoreline is a highly dynamic feature with average rate of erosion estimated to be about 2m/year ±0.44m. Individual rates along some transect reach as high as 16m/year near the estuary and on the east of the Keta Sea Defence site. The study con- firms earlier rates of erosion calculated for the area and also reveals the influence of the Keta Sea Defence Project on erosion along the eastern coast of Ghana. The research shows that shoreline change can be estimated using medium resolution sat- ellite imagery.

국내외 연안구역관리 지표체계의 특성

Abstract Coastal zone management indicators are being used as an important means of decision making in the process of policy establishment for integrated coastal management and implementation, and these indicators are very useful tools that enable the evaluation of the coastal zone management from an integrated perspective, the understanding and analysis of interactions according to each department. Accordingly, most of organizations in international society and advanced coastal states tend to develop coastal zone management indicator system in order to check current coastal environment, social and economic status, also to grasp effectiveness of the coastal zone management policy. In this research, therefore, the characteristics of coastal zone management indicator system was drawn through understanding of strength and weakness, and conducting comparative analysis of the coastal zone management indicator system according to each level having classified domestic and international coastal zone management indicator system into three aspects at large: natural and environmental aspect; social and economic aspect; and network aspect. As a result, following features were drawn as the common characteristics among the cases in the advanced coastal states: the management means for realization of sustainable coastal zone management; scientific decision making tools for various stakeholders; evaluation means for effectiveness of coastal zone integrated management; and dualization of coastal zone management indicator system; etc. Lastly, based on these common values revealed in the domestic and international coastal management indicator system, a suggestion for correct establishment of the domestic coastal management indicators was proposed in the regional aspect.