Development of Sustainable Approach for Coastal Erosion Risk Mitigation

Abstract

Sustainable coastal land management can be achieved by identifying and safeguarding appropriate sediment sources, so-called ‘strategic sediment reserves’ that have the capacity to increase coastal resilience safeguarding the sediment balance. This can be achieved through an in-depth large-scale study of sediment production/distribution processes - over the short and long term - together with an innovative monitoring system based on the processing of satellite and aerial images. This approach has been applied at an area of the Puglia region in order to verify its effectiveness as sustainable approach for coastal erosion risk mitigation. A multi-parameter hydrodynamic model (EPM), developed in a GIS environment for the estimation of sediments production, transport and deposition, has been applied at the basin of the Ofanto River which is now considered the main cause of the deficit in sediment balance of the coastal area. The use of the EPM model, properly integrated with the results of a wide experimental campaign, has made it possible to identify the priority areas in the production of the sediment that feeds the coastal area. This kind of approach can be very useful for assessing the impact of anthropic activities (e.g. construction of dams, agricultural cultivations) in the retreat of coastline and for developing planning strategies aimed to the strengthening coastal resilience.