The role of coastal setbacks in the context of coastal erosion and climate change

Coastal erosion and storms represent a source of risk for settlements and infrastructure along the coast. At the same time, coastal natural assets, including landscape, are threatened by increasing development mainly driven by tourism. The Mediterranean coast is especially vulnerable to these processes, considering its high biological and cultural diversity. An additional challenge is represented by climate change, as it will force coastal communities to apply more or less drastic adaptation strategies. Coastal setbacks, used to protect coastal communities and infrastructure from storms and erosion, and to preserve coastal habitats and landscapes from degradation, is one of the main instruments suggested by the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management of the Barcelona Convention, entered into force on the 24 of March 2011. Its implementation has the potential to influence coastal policies in other regions, such as the neighbouring Black Sea.The CONSCIENCE project has formalized concepts and conducted specific studies to provide new tools for coastal erosion management practice. The objective of this paper is to present a synthesis of the research conducted into coastal setbacks for coastal erosion management and climate change adaptation. This is done by analysing the requirement of the Protocol, current processes and management practices in two case study areas (Costa Brava Bays in Spain and Danube Delta, in Romania) and the new challenges posed by climate change.     

A broad-scale assessment of the risk to coastal seagrasses from cumulative threats

Informing the management of coastal marine habitats at broad spatial scales is difficult because of the costs associated with collecting and analyzing ecological data at that scale. Spatially explicit assessments of the risk to coastal marine habitats from cumulative threats provide an alternative approach by identifying sites that are exposed to multiple anthropogenic threats at broad scales. In this study, qualitative measures of vulnerability were combined with geospatial data to evaluate the risk to coastal seagrasses at the scale of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region (∼26,000 km²) of Queensland, Australia. The risk assessment outputs identified agricultural, urban and industrial runoff, and urban and port developments as the major anthropogenic activities threatening coastal seagrasses. ‘Hot spots’ with multiple threat exposure were all in industrial port locations and the southern two-thirds of the GBR. There is a distinct discontinuity in threat exposure along the GBR coast with 98% of seagrass meadows in the northern third exposed to only low levels of anthropogenic risk. The clustering of threat exposure is discussed in terms of coastal management policy. The approach outlined in this study provides management agencies a method of achieving maximum return for minimal investment in data collection at broad spatial scales by identifying sites where management intervention would be best targeted.     

The ocean's role in climate variability

Because of its vast volume and heat capacity, the ocean contains most of the memory of the earth's ocean - atmosphere coupled system. It has been suggested that the ocean may delay global warming by absorbing large amounts of heat, that it may cause ab- rupt climate change due to its disrupted thermohaline circulation, and that it may set the time-scales for various climate oscilla- tions. Although the slow pace and persistence of oceanic variations give hope to long-range prediction, there still exist large uncer- tainties in climate predictability. Presently available observations and models are generally inadequate for studying and predicting long-term climate changes. However, some short-term fluctuations such as ENSO have been well studied and shown to be highly predictable even with simplified models.     

气候变化中海洋和冰冻圈的变化、影响及风险

本文系统梳理了IPCC 《气候变化中的海洋和冰冻圈特别报告》(SROCC)的主要结论,并对主要观点进行了解读。报告主要关注全球变暖背景下高山、极地、海洋和沿海地区现在和未来的变化及其对人类和生态系统的影响,以及实现气候适应发展路径的方案。在全球变暖背景下,冰冻圈大面积萎缩,冰川冰盖质量损失,积雪减少,北极海冰范围和厚度减小,多年冻土升温,全球海洋持续增温,1993年以来,海洋变暖和吸热速度增加了一倍以上。同时,海洋表面酸化加剧,海洋含氧量减少。全球平均海平面呈加速上升趋势,2006—2015年全球海平面上升速率为3.6 mm/yr,是1901—1990年的2.5倍,但存在区域差异。高山、极地和海洋的生态系统的物种组成、分布和服务功能均发生变化,并对人类社会产生了显著负面影响。极端海洋气候事件发生频率增多,强度加大。1982年以来,全球范围内海洋热浪的发生频率增加了一倍,且范围更广,持续时间更长。海平面持续上升加剧了洪涝、海水入侵、海岸侵蚀等海岸带灾害,并影响沿海生态系统。海洋及冰冻圈的变化及其影响在未来一定时期仍将持续,应对这些影响而面临的挑战,应加强基于生态系统的适应和可再生能源管理,强化海岸带地区的海平面上升综合应对,打造积极有效、可持续和具有韧性的气候变化应对方案。     

The coastal undercurrent— A role of longshore scales in coastal upwelling dynamics

A simple three-dimensional model of a time-dependent coastal upwelling is discussed for time scales of several days to a week, with the linear, two-layer, flat-bottom and $\text{?-}\text{plane}$ approximation. Emphasis is placed on the effects of longshore scales determined by the longshore variabilities in the wind stress distributions. The responses of the inshore motions are shown to depend critically on the longshore scales. For a certain wide range of the scales, the system reveals dominantly baroclinic responses and a full development of the poleward coastal undercurrent without β effect. Somewhat detailed discussions are given on the coastal upwelling, the coastal jet and the poleward undercurrent, which are interpreted simply as the orbital velocities of the forced Kelvin-type waves.     

Recreational benefits of coastal protection: a case study

In the UK, cost–benefit analysis of coastal protection schemes that expect to receive grant assistance is required by H.M. Government. A recommended procedure for evaluating the recreational benefits of coastal protection is based on a variant of contingent valuation methodology (CVM), and involves the estimation of the gains and losses in the value of enjoyment by beach users associated with different project scenarios (including the option of allowing erosion to occur). The paper reports the results of a study which applies this approach to coastal protection at an important UK seaside resort. It focusses on the suitability of the value of enjoyment (VOE) elicitation method, and stresses the need to test the validity of the results from all such studies that apply this approach.     

The Mediterranean: vulnerability to coastal implications of climate change

The Mediterranean is experiencing a number of immediate coastal problems which are triggering efforts to improve short-term coastal management. This paper shows that coastal management also needs to address long-term problems and, in particular, the likelihood of climate change. Regional scale studies suggest that the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to increased flooding by storm surges as sea levels rise—a 1-m rise in sea level would cause at least a six-fold increase in the number of people experiencing such flooding in a typical year, without considering population growth. Protection is quite feasible, however, this would place a greater burden on those Mediterranean countries in the south than those in the north. All coastal wetlands appear threatened. Case studies of coastal cities (Venice and Alexandria), deltas (Nile, Po, Rhone and Ebro), and islands (Cyprus) support the need to consider climate change in coastal planning. However, the critical issues vary from site to site and from setting to setting. In deltaic areas and low-lying coastal plains climate change, particularly sea-level rise, is already considered as an important issue, but elsewhere this is not the case. Therefore, there is a need for coastal management plans to explicitly address long-term issues, including climate change, and integrate this planning with short-term issues. This is entirely consistent with existing guidelines.¹ Given the large uncertainty concerning the future, planning for climate change will involve identifying and implementing low-cost proactive measures, such as appropriate land use planning or improved design standards incorporated within renewal cycles, as well as identifying sectors or activities which may be compromised by likely climate change. In the latter case, any necessary investment can be seen as a prudent ‘insurance policy’.     

全球海草的中文命名

海草（seagrass）是地球上唯一一类可以完全生活在海水中的高等被子植物。全球已知海草的种类有70余种,隶属6科13属;中国现有海草22种,隶属4科10属。2014年11月"第十一次国际海草生物学研讨会"（The 11th International Seagrass Biology Workshop）在三亚召开时,国内海草研究专家共同探讨了中国海草的"藻"名更改,并进行了统一命名。然而,国内中文文章在引用非中国海草种类时,同一种海草的中文名称不一致,或者同一属不同的物种以一样的中文名出现,或者用属中文名后接拉丁文方式表达。同时,国外海草的中文名也多以"藻"来命名,容易引起混淆。因此,有必要在中国海草"藻"名更改的基础上,进一步规范全球其他海草的中文命名,以利于国内海草研究。     

沿海滩涂开发与环境保护的可持续发展

海洋拥有丰富的自然资源、优越的气候环境和便捷的国际通道,它为全世界也为我国沿海地区的发展提供了得天独厚的条件,使我国沿海地区一直成为社会经济最发达的区域。我国沿海地区承载人口近5亿,创造全国GDP的58％,其中的海洋产业是沿海乃至全国经济发展中最具活力的增长点。沿海滩涂作为海岸带的重要组成部分,地处海陆     

The potential role of Sustainability Science in coastal zone management

Sustainability Science invokes a co-produced approach to research between researchers and managers, involving a shared participatory, policy-centred process. The COREPOINT project which was developed with the principles of Sustainability Science in mind, provides evidence of the effectiveness and challenges involved in the knowledge transfer process between research centres and local government officials involved in coastal research and management. The Expert Couplet Nodes (ECN) embedded within the project aimed to ensure that a paradigm shift in attitude and behaviour towards traditional science and management practices took place. A comparison of the ECN process in two study sites in Ireland provided an opportunity to review the process and outcomes of the collaborative enquiry arrangements by referring to a suite of Sustainability Science principles developed during the project. In doing so, this paper demonstrates how the ECN approach built capacity for improved coastal management and how Sustainability Science has a key role to play in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). However, weaknesses in the ECN approach also showed that greater innovation from the ICZM community of researchers, policy makers and practitioners is of critical importance to the roll out of Sustainability Science as a societal solution in the transition towards sustainability. This requires capacity building to deal with the complexity of coastal socio-ecological systems.     

The role of research networks for science-policy collaboration in coastal areas

This paper reviews the approach taken by several UK coastal partnerships in developing research strategies and programmes. It reports on the status of these research initiatives and describes how the co-ordination and communication of scientific research have been approached through active partnerships with universities and the wider research community. Results of semi-structured interviews are followed by in-depth case studies of research networks on the Sefton Coast (focusing on coastal morphology) and the Severn Estuary (focusing on coastal change and climate change impacts). The results reveal the constraints and opportunities that exist in bringing together a variety of knowledge holders in the coastal zone. The paper identifies key elements of these initiatives and highlights lessons that can be applied to the development of other research initiatives in order to achieve science supported, ecosystem-based management.     

Development and application of a methodology for vulnerability assessment of climate change in coastal cities

This research is based on the need to develop methodology for climate change vulnerability assessment in coastal cities. While there have been some studies on the development of methodologies for vulnerability assessment on a national scale, there have been few attempts to develop a method for local vulnerability assessment with application to coastal cities. The objective of this study was to develop a general methodology to assess vulnerability to climate change and to apply it to the metropolitan coastal city of Busan in South Korea. We followed the conceptual framework for assessing climate change vulnerability provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is composed of climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Sea level rises of 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m, and 3 m were considered as the climate exposure. Sensitivity to sea level rise was measured based on the percentage of flooded area calculated using flood simulation with a GIS tool. The population density and the population at age 65 years and over were also included in the calculation of sensitivity index. Sensitivities to heat wave and heavy rainstorm were quantified using the expert opinions from the Delphi survey and information on land use classification. Adaptive capacity was assessed in three sections: economic capability, infrastructure, and institutional capabilities. By combining the adaptive capacity and three different sensitivities, vulnerability to sea level rise (SLR-V), vulnerability to heavy rainstorm (HR-V), and vulnerability to heat wave (HW-V) were separately evaluated in 16 counties of Busan. Using cluster analysis, we could classify four major groups of counties based on SLR-V, HR-V, HW-V, and reported damage cost. For clustered groups, different adaptation strategies were suggested based on the different vulnerability patterns. Application of our methodology to Busan indicated that our methodology is easy to use and provides concrete policy implications when setting up adaptation strategies. The methodology developed in this study could also be used in mainstreaming climate change into Integrated Coastal Management (ICM).     

Exergy,ecosystem functioning and efficiency in a coastal lagoon: The role of auxiliary energy

Exergy, as the sum of energy and information contained in a given system due to living organisms, can act as a quality indicator of ecosystems. Here, we investigated the exergy of Marsala Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea), along with microbial (prokaryotic and heterotrophic nanobenthos) biomass, prokaryotic heterotrophic production and extracellular enzymatic activities, and the biochemical composition of sediment organic matter. The aim of the study was to assess the role of auxiliary energy (e.g. hydrodynamic stress) in the ecosystem functioning and efficiency of a ‘detritus sink’ lagoon. Samples were collected at sites characterized by contrasting hydrodynamic and trophic conditions. Exergy transfer through the benthic microbial loop was influenced by two main factors: (1) organic matter bioavailability; and (2) hydrodynamic forcing. At both sites, the values of total exergy were higher in summer than in winter, and the specific exergy decreased from winter to autumn, along with increasing auxiliary energy. Our data indicate that in coastal ‘detritus sink’ systems, auxiliary energy sources can have a crucial role in exergy transfer and ecosystem functioning through modifying the efficiency of transfer to higher trophic levels of the refractory organic detritus, which is otherwise lost by burial in the sediment. As coastal lagoons are often intensively modified by human activities, we conclude that maintenance of the natural hydrodynamic regimes is a key factor in the preservation of the functioning of lagoon ecosystems and of their provision of goods and services to humans.     

Adaptive management,international co-operation and planning for marine conservation hotspots in a changing climate

The aim of this study is to predict changes in the distribution and extent of habitat forming species defined as “Priority Marine Habitats” (PMHs) in the North-East (NE) Atlantic under future scenarios of climate-induced environmental change. A Species Distribution Modelling method was used for each PMH to map the potential distribution of “most suitable” habitat. The area and percentage cover was calculated within each country׳s Exclusive Economic Zone for the baseline (2009) and the projected (2100) years. In addition, a conservation management score was calculated based on the number of PMHs that co-occur in assessment units. Overall, this study reveals the potential for movement and/or change in the extent of some PMHs across the NE Atlantic under an increased ocean temperature scenario (4 °C) by 2100. There are regional differences in the predicted changes and some countries will experience greater/different changes than others. The movement of biodiversity hotspots (where one or more PMHs occur in the same broad area) provides both opportunities and risks for conservation management that are discussed. Co-operation between neighbouring countries and marine regions will require substantial enhancement in order to provide a robust adaptive management strategy going forward.     

An approach to assess flooding and erosion risk for open beaches in a changing climate

This paper examines the vulnerability to flooding and erosion of four open beach study sites in Europe. A framework for the quantitative estimation of present and future coastal flood and erosion risks is established using methods, data and tools from across a range of disciplines, including topographic and bathymetric data, climate data from observation, hindcast and model projections, statistical modelling of current and future climates and integrated risk analysis tools. Uncertainties in the estimation of future coastal system dynamics are considered, as are the consequences for the inland systems. Different implementations of the framework are applied to the study sites which have different wave, tidal and surge climate conditions. These sites are: Santander, Spain—the Atlantic Ocean; Bellocchio, Italy—the Adriatic Sea; Varna, Bulgaria—the Black Sea; and the Teign Estuary, UK—the northern Atlantic Ocean. The complexity of each system is first simplified by sub-division into coastal “impact units” defined by homogeneity in the local key forcing parameters: wave, wind, tide, river discharge, run-off, etc. This reduces the simulation to that of a number of simpler linear problems which are treated by applying the first two components of the Source–Pathway–Receptor–Consequence (S–P–R–C) approach. The case studies reveal the flexibility of this approach, which is found useful for the rapid assessment of the risks of flooding and erosion for a range of scenarios and the likely effectiveness of flood defences.     

The role of video imagery in predicting daily to monthly coastal evolution

Owing to intensified use of the coastal region and the frequent application of small-scale, tailored interventions such as beach nourishments, there is a growing need for coastal state information and knowledge on spatiotemporal scales of meters to kilometers and days to months. The design and implementation of engineering and management measures at these scales is hampered by limited predictability of their impact. Advanced, automated video stations open the door towards the collection of long-term, high-resolution data sets, which offer enhanced opportunities for the prediction of coastal processes at smaller scales. In this paper, the added value of high-resolution data sets for prediction purposes is explored. In particular the application of data-driven approaches as well as process models supported by video data are explored. In the data-driven approach, the inclusion of monthly video-derived data was found to not only improve confidence intervals on the predicted shoreline evolution, but also to facilitate the use of more sophisticated data extrapolation methods. Short-term, operational forecasts of the nearshore flow and sediment transport field were found to benefit from the inclusion of intertidal bathymetric data derived from video imagery. Though in its pioneering stage for video-based research, it is foreseen that significant advancement in prediction skill will be achieved through development of data-assimilation schemes which combine the best of existing process and empirical knowledge on coastal morphodynamics.     

The role of the European Community in the Mediterranean coastal zone management

The objective of this paper is to focus on the role of the European Community (EC) in the management of the coastal zones of the Mediterranean. The EC performs this role at two levels of involvement: with respect to its Mediterranean member states and through the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation, in co-ordination with international and regional initiatives, such as those of the United Nations (Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP)) and the World Bank. According to this, the coastal policy of the EC is considered with special attention to past and current developments, and the main policy objectives and instruments are discussed. This review is followed by a brief analysis of the EC Mediterranean coastal zone: the general use and development patterns, the main pressures bearing upon it, and its definition from a legal and administrative perspective. An evaluation of the role of the EC in the Mediterranean context then follows, with particular reference to the ongoing developments of the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation within MAP and the Barcelona Convention system. On this basis, conclusions are drawn on the need to improve the EC Mediterranean coastal policy through a strengthened integration between the various EC sectoral policies, and between these policies and the policies of the member states, and through an optimised co-ordination with MAP.     

气候变暖背景下中国沿海降水变化特征

IPCC第六次评估报告指出,随着全球变暖,强降水事件通常会变得更加频繁和强烈。暴雨是我国主要气象灾害之一,是引发洪涝的最主要原因。目前洪涝灾害已成为影响滨海城市公共安全和经济社会发展的重要因素,了解降水的变化特征对于科学应对气候变化和防灾减灾具有重要意义。本文研究结果显示,1966-2020年中国沿海降水量和暴雨及以上级别降水日数（日降水量≥50 mm的日数）总体均呈增多趋势,但变化趋势不显著;降水日数（日降水量≥0.1 mm的日数）总体呈减少趋势,且变化趋势显著。降水量和暴雨及以上级别降水日数在长江口至福建北部沿海和海南沿海增加趋势明显,山东省及以北沿海、广东省东部沿海呈减少趋势;降水日数除在长江口附近呈增多趋势外,其他沿海地区均以减少为主。降水日数总体减少,降水量总体增多,表明降水过程中降水强度有增加趋势。中国沿海总体暴雨及以上级别强降水主要集中在5-9月,出现频率占全年81.7%。多地出现最大日降水量超过250 mm情况,局部最大日降水量超过500 mm。强降水过程期间往往伴随高海平面,影响滨海城市行洪排涝,增加淹没风险。     

Assessing climate change impacts on coastal infrastructure in the Eastern Caribbean

Expected effects of changes in global climate include warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and potentially more frequent and severe extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms. Low-lying states in the Caribbean are especially vulnerable to these effects, posing significant risks to public safety and natural resources.This paper highlights expected trends in the Eastern Caribbean and examines the impacts of urbanization and supporting infrastructure, siting of major structures in high-hazard areas, and negative land-use practices on fragile coastal ecosystems. It focuses on the need to reduce the vulnerability of coastal infrastructure and land uses, arguing for effective linkages between climate change issues and development planning. The paper also provides general recommendations and identifies challenges for the incorporation of climate change impacts and risk assessment into long-term land-use national development plans and strategies.