Methodological approach of coastal areas concerning typology and spatial indicators, in the context of integrated management and environmental assessment

The general objective of this paper is to trigger off the development of a more comprehensive approach to Hellenic coastal areas (in the perspective of territorial cohesion), at local level and especially along the non-urban areas close to the sea. Methodological issues linked to the building of an appropriate coastal database constitute the key goal of this paper (the space and time scale, the relationship to the already proposed set of indicators, the impact of driving forces and policies, the possible sources of data and their feasibility etc.). Furthermore, specific emphasis should be given to the choice of new indicators, particularly for the coastal abiotic environment and the land cover/uses along coastal areas, especially near the seafront. Those indicators should be able to aid the formation (in the near future) of an algorithm linked to the total man-made activities in coastal areas. In conclusion, this paper will be considered successful if the just above illustrated objectives could enrich the argument about the typology of coastal areas and the development of a spatial (coastal) observatory. Actually, this paper is part of a broader research of the author regarding the monitoring of coastal spatial changes in different scales (AMICA, “Appraisal of man-made interventions along the Hellenic coastal areas”). This research aims to broaden the coastal knowledge (not only by means of coastal data) on behalf of all stakeholders been implicated into sustainable spatial planning, integrated coastal management and the strategic environmental assessment along coastal areas.

Uncertainty in integrated coastal zone management

Uncertainty plays a major role in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). A large part of this uncertainty is connected to our lack of knowledge of the integrated functioning of the coastal system and to the increasing need to act in a pro-active way. Increasingly, coastal managers are forced to take decisions based on information which is surrounded by uncertainties. Different types of uncertainty can be identified and the role of uncertainty in decision making, scientific uncertainty and model uncertainty in ICZM is discussed. The issue of spatial variability, which is believed to be extremely important in ICZM and represents a primary source of complexity and uncertainty, is also briefly introduced. Some principles for complex model building are described as an approach to handle, in a balanced way, the available data, information, knowledge and experience. The practical method of sensitivity analysis is then introduced as a method for a posterior evaluation of uncertainty in simulation models. We conclude by emphasising the need for the definition of an analysis plan in order to handle model uncertainty in a balanced way during the decision making process.     

The practice of coastal zone management in Portugal

The practice of coastal zone management in Portugal is very recent. Key issues and considerations about natural shoreline dynamics, main policy instruments, and lessons learned from the EU Demonstration Programmes on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Portugal will be outlined in this paper in an attempt to understand how the practice of ICZM and its prospects are. Coastal zone management problems and their associated side effects, as well as national and international evolution patterns will be drawn. Some means of achieving better coastal zone management practices and ways of addressing some of its forefront issues are also identified. Special attention will go to erosion problems. The pressure induced by urban development and economic activities on coastal areas is increasing. Poor sediment availability combined with years of neglected management and over-exploitation of resources have had a negative impact, and there are many areas showing evidence of coastal erosion. There is a need to improve policies and instruments of coastal planning and management. Coastal zone management plans are being developed for the nine sectors of the continental Portuguese coast, providing a full analysis of coastal systems and a delimitation of uses in relation to the carrying capacity of the shoreline.     

Spatial analysis of traffic and risks in the coastal zone

Management of the coastal zone for the purposes of conservation and sustainability is a well-described concept in the literature. This paper describes the importance of modelling various forms of maritime traffic as an intrinsic element of this process. Effective use of GIS in this context implies extensive data acquisition and cleaning, vessel path simulation, traffic density maps, and incident (spills or accidents) distribution when applicable. Risks can be determined by evaluating detrimental occurrences relative to exposure levels. Effective visualization and quantitative analyses can then be fruitfully applied to various coastal zone management spheres, such as oceans use planning, emergency response planning, and marine protected area delineation.     

A GIS-based vulnerability assessment of coastal natural hazards,state of Pará, Brazil

Studies carried out in the NE coastal zone of the State of Pará (Brazil) have recorded, in the last 25 years, numerous evidence of natural impacts of the flood and erosion processes. As a consequence, diverse strategies and measures of population adaptation have been implemented but with limited success. Therefore, in order to subsidize the Coastal Zone Management Program of Pará, this paper aims to identify, assess and classify natural and socio-economic vulnerabilities of this coastal zone by means of a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based composite coastal vulnerability index (CVI). In spite of the data problems and shortcomings, using ESRI’s Arcview 3.2 program, the CVI score, to classify, weight and combine a number of 16 separate natural and socio-economic variables to create a single indicator provides a reliable measure of differences (5 classes) among regions and communities that are exposed to similar ranges of hazards. The results are presented in three maps referred to as Natural, Socioeconomic and Total Vulnerability. The confidence associated with the results obtained, the need to utilize another variables, and to frequently update the ones used already were analyzed and discussed.     

Coastal directories and beyond: Providing multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information for resource management

Baseline resource information in an easily accessible form is a vital starting point for developing coastal zone management. On behalf of a wide-ranging group of organizations involved in the management of the U.K. maritime zone, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is compiling a series of 16 regional volumes. The volumes contain multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information arranged in ten chapters under the general title ‘Coasts and Seas of the UK’. These volumes form part of a series of paper and electronic publications of coastal information being produced by JNCC's Coastal Directories Project and are designed to meet the needs of planners and all others involved in decision-making and management of the coast.     

Coastal directories and beyond: providing multidisciplinary coastal zone resource information for resource management

Baseline resource information in an easily accessible form is a vital starting point for developing coastal zone management. On behalf of a wide-ranging group of organizations involved in the management of the U.K. maritime zone, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is compiling a series of 16 regional volumes. The volumes contain multi-disciplinary coastal zone resource information arranged in ten chapters under the general title ‘Coasts and Seas of the UK’. These volumes form part of a series of paper and electronic publications of coastal information being produced by JNCC’s Coastal Directories Project and are designed to meet the needs of planners and all others involved in decision-making and management of the coast.     

First steps in strategic environmental assessment (SEA) adoption for coastal planning in Sicily (South Italy)

The Industrial District (I.D.) of Messina was the first public authority to consider useful the application of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedure for the development of an Industrial Plan regarding a coastal area. At the moment the I.D. includes six areas, but the application of the SEA concerns only the area of Pace del Mela (along the north-eastern coast of Sicily), where a “District of the two Seas” will be created, based on the synergetic development between an industrialized niche (shipbuilding) and touristic development (port and hotels). The area in which this type of intervention will occur is not in use at the moment and it was not possible to collect environmental data. For this reason, in order to describe the environmental features of this territory, we took into consideration a few indicators which could be easily identified, necessary for a post evaluation which considers the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the industrial and suburban structures to be built.     

Physical planning in the coastal region of Zeeland, the Netherlands

The Dutch province of Zeeland is situated in the southern part of the Delta region. The geographical location of the province and its history of inundation, land reclamation and dam-building, clearly illustrate the importance that water always has had and still has in The Netherlands. Coastal defence projects are of utmost importance for The Netherlands and the Delta Project is the crown project. The importance of this project does not only regard the protection against the sea; the Delta dams also contribute considerably to the regional infrastructure. They are a important contribution to the abolishment of the former isolation of the region. They control inland navigation and form important boundaries for water management. They separate salt, brackish and fresh water as well as waters with or without tidal-influence and they also influence the ecological systems in and along the waters. Through physical planning, including the coastal policy of today, land and water can be further integrated. This paper discusses the role of the Province in area planning, related to the division of labour between the various public authorities in The Netherlands: state, provinces and municipalities. Coastal and water policy at the provincial level have been largely integrated with relevant other interests. It may be concluded that regional planning and coastal policy are beginning to adopt a new view towards dealing with water.     

Engineering-geological hazards and management in the Mountain Crimea coastal zone

The main engineering-geological hazards and their factors of the Mountain Crimea coastal region are considered. A characteristic shore line site of Cape Kikineiz and its neighboring coastal area near the Katsiveli settlement has been studied in more detail. The important characteristic of the site is a high diversity of geological conditions with numerous manifestations of dangerous engineering-geological processes: shore and hydrological network abrasion, loss of slopes and rocks stability, etc. These processes have intensified during the last decades under the influence of natural and man-induced factors. The results of preliminary study of geo-environmental situation of the area are presented. The program for further research and possible recommendations for rational coastal hazard management and area ecological state improvement are outlined.     

Soft intervention technology as a tool for integrated coastal zone management

After introducing soft defence techniques as an alternative to hard defence techniques, the need is emphasized to consider the coastal area as an integral system. By recalling the main driving factors for coastal management: conflict resolution, resilience and sustainability, we logically arrive at the concepts of ecological engineering and ecotechnology, which are increasingly acknowledged as possible solutions to achieve sustainable use of coastal space as a resource. In this context, we refer to the principles of self design and of ecosystem conservation. In order to deal with real situations we are in need of fundamental ‘tools’ for the application of the soft intervention technology approach. We therefore introduce the concept of physiographic units and develop an initial elaboration for a coastal stretch and for coastal wetlands. The latter deserve more attention because of the already established practices of ecotechnology, at least as far as water and soil quality are concerned, but certainly also concerning morphology, especially in the future. We conclude by briefly discussing how activities undertaken in two research projects currently being conducted under the framework of the Marine Science and Technology Program of the Commission of the European Communities are expected to contribute to the concepts introduced here.     

Critical environmental indicators: performance indices and assessment models for sustainable rural development planning

Sustainable development planning must be based on environmental and biophysical baseline indices that effectively define comparative development potential and environmental constraints. As such, indices must define the comparative advantage of the natural resource base and measure the fundamental capacity to sustain production rates of natural resource goods and services used to create societal well being. Complex biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics affect the identification and selection of sustainable development strategies. When derived from effective baseline indicators, indices may be used to define the spatial and temporal distribution of economically viable production opportunities and may be expressed in derived indices that realistically describe basic production opportunities and guide the selection of feasible, long-term development strategies. Specifically, representative indices are critical in the identification of development goals and realistic objectives and can be used to evaluate, select and implement sustainable development strategies and plans. It is stressed that the relevancy and effectiveness of public policies depend on the identification of representative evaluation models and baseline indices to define development strategies that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. In this context, the role of baseline indicators that define natural resource production capacities is discussed. This includes potential resource uses, derived benefits and their economic and environmental impacts. Key thematic indicators are suggested that may be especially useful in identifying development alternatives and impacts. This suggested that clearly defined environmental pollution limits or impact standards be used to define public risk tolerance limits and carrying capacity constraints. It is argued that these measures may be more effective in directing policy choices than economic valuation of non market goods and services that represent environmental externalities associated with resource exploitation options and economic development strategies. To this end, examples of thematic indicators and derived indices are introduced that may prove effective in resource assessment, economic evaluation and strategic development planning.     

Sea-level rise and coastal vulnerability: an assessment of Andhra Pradesh coast,India through remote sensing and GIS

The eustatic sea-level rise due to global warming is predicted to be about 18 to 59 cm by the 2100 (IPCC 2007), which necessitates identification and protection of vulnerable sections of coasts. Assessment of vulnerability level of Andhra Pradesh (AP) coast as an example is demonstrated in this study using five physical variables, namely coastal geomorphology, coastal slope, shoreline change, mean spring tide range, and significant wave height. A coastal vulnerability index was prepared by integrating the differentially weighted rank values of the five variables, based on which the coastline is segmented into low-, moderate-, high-, and very high risk categories. About 43% of the 1,030-km-long AP coast is under very high-risk, followed by another 35% under high-risk if the sea level rises by ~0.6 m displacing more than 1.29 million people living within 2.0 m elevation in 282 villages in the region.     

On the integration of science and management in coastal management research

This contribution presents an introduction to a series of papers on integrated scientific approaches presented at the San Feliu Euroconference on transdisciplinary coastal management research. Coastal management is a challenging area for the integration of social and natural sciences. The papers provide a basis for ongoing cross-disciplinary research.     

Biotic processes in a coastal dunefield: An assessment of seed removal, with non-native seed removal experiments

The impact of granivores on coastal dune seed reserves may be high, increasing along a landward gradient from the littoral zone as the structural complexity of the habitat increases. Seasonal removal rates of non-native seeds by nocturnal and diurnal vertebrates and ants from experimental seed trays in two habitats within the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, South Africa, were determined. Overall, seed removal was higher in the dune-field bush-pocket habitat than the landward thicket habitat. Nocturnal vertebrates were the most important seed removers within bush-pockets. The importance of nocturnal vertebrates decreased in the thicket and there was a shift in the dominant seed removers to diurnal vertebrates. Seed removal by ants and diurnal vertebrates did not differ significantly between the bush-pockets and thicket while that of nocturnal vertebrates showed a significant change. This can be ascribed to the abundance of the omnivorous murid rodentGerbillurus paeba exilis in the bush-pockets which is absent from thicket vegetation.     

Relationships between nutrients and macroalgal biomass in a brazilian coastal lagoon: the impact of a lock construction

The Piratininga Lagoon is a coastal, choked, and brackish ecosystem in SE Brazil, where uncontrolled discharge of domestic sewage led to eutrophication, increasing massive proliferation of benthic macroalgae, and decrease of the lagoon mean depth. In 1992, a dam was constructed by the local Municipality at its tidal channel aiming at stabilising its water level. Main physico-chemical parameters, together with macroalgae biomass, nutrient concentrations in the water column, particulate organic carbon, and chlorophyll a were recorded monthly at 4 sampling stations within the Piratininga lagoon from April 1994 to April 1995. The data, compared with “before-lock” existing studies, show that nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations significantly increased after the lock construction. Based on the functioning of the ecosystem, we propose to harvest the algal mats before their decomposition period in order to partly remove the nutrient stocks from the lagoon and the future ecosystem modelling to predict the impact of natural and anthropogenic eutrophication.     

Relationships between nutrients and macroalgal biomass in a brazilian coastal lagoon: the impact of a lock construction

The Piratininga Lagoon is a coastal, choked, and brackish ecosystem in SE Brazil, where uncontrolled discharge of domestic sewage led to eutrophication, increasing massive proliferation of benthic macroalgae, and decrease of the lagoon mean depth. In 1992, a dam was constructed by the local Municipality at its tidal channel aiming at stabilising its water level. Main physico-chemical parameters, together with macroalgae biomass, nutrient concentrations in the water column, particulate organic carbon, and chlorophyll a were recorded monthly at 4 sampling stations within the Piratininga lagoon from April 1994 to April 1995. The data, compared with “before-lock” existing studies, show that nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations significantly increased after the lock construction. Based on the functioning of the ecosystem, we propose to harvest the algal mats before their decomposition period in order to partly remove the nutrient stocks from the lagoon and the future ecosystem modelling to predict the impact of natural and anthropogenic eutrophication.     

Management of nutrient emissions of Axios River catchment: Their effect in the coastal zone of Thermaikos Gulf,Greece

The estimation of nutrient fluxes, the determination of spatial and temporal response and the understanding of biogeochemical changes in the past, present and future in the Axios River catchment, in Greece, as well as the impacts to the coastal zone of Thermaikos Gulf were accomplished by the use of harmonized watershed and coastal zone models. The mathematical model MONERIS was the watershed management model that was used to model the export loads of nutrients in Axios River. MONERIS was developed to estimate the nutrient inputs into river basins by point sources and various diffuse pathways. Watershed hydrologic and water quality data were collected and synthesized to develop input data sets for the simulation of Axios River catchment. The model was modified to better assess organic nitrogen export loads in Mediterranean watersheds. The results showed the importance of agricultural and livestock activities, concerning their nutrients emissions in the River. MONERIS was integrated with the coastal zone model WASP 6.0 to assess the impacts of the nutrient loads to the eutrophication status of the coastal zone. Several management scenarios were assessed. Management scenarios included measures for reduction in the emissions from the fertilizer plant of Veles, removal of phosphorous from the detergents in FYROM, treatment of urban wastes to EU Standards, reduction in N-fertilizer input, reduction in erosion and the green scenario that represented the maximum reduction scenario of all the measures together. The model simulations indicated that the coastal zone of Axios mouth will be eutrophic for nitrate (2.69–3.34 μM) and phosphate (0.2–0.68 μM) and upper mesotrophic for chlorophyll-a (0.74–1.45 μg/l) for the scenarios tested. The results suggest that the impact of the management scenarios will be largely negligible (no change in trophic status) for the Thermaikos Gulf sector nearby the Axios River due to additional sources such as the loads from Thessaloniki's waste water treatment plant which appear to affect the region to a greater extent. The integration of watershed and coastal zone models can be used to assess management scenarios in order to illustrate the significance of various land use practices to the eutrophication of the Gulf.     

Incorporating detectability of threatened species into environmental impact assessment

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a key mechanism for protecting threatened plant and animal species. Many species are not perfectly detectable and, even when present, may remain undetected during EIA surveys, increasing the risk of site‐level loss or extinction of species. Numerous methods now exist for estimating detectability of plants and animals. Despite this, regulations concerning survey protocol and effort during EIAs fail to adequately address issues of detectability. Probability of detection is intrinsically linked to survey effort; thus, minimum survey effort requirements are a useful way to address the risks of false absences. We utilized 2 methods for determining appropriate survey effort requirements during EIA surveys. One method determined the survey effort required to achieve a probability of detection of 0.95 when the species is present. The second method estimated the survey effort required to either detect the species or reduce the probability of presence to 0.05. We applied these methods to Pimelea spinscens subsp. spinescens, a critically endangered grassland plant species in Melbourne, Australia. We detected P. spinescens in only half of the surveys undertaken at sites where it was known to exist. Estimates of the survey effort required to detect the species or demonstrate its absence with any confidence were much higher than the effort traditionally invested in EIA surveys for this species. We argue that minimum survey requirements be established for all species listed under threatened species legislation and hope that our findings will provide an impetus for collecting, compiling, and synthesizing quantitative detectability estimates for a broad range of plant and animal species. Incorporación de la Capacidad de Detectar una Especie Amenazada a la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental