Sustainability of artificial coasts: The Barcelona coast case
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Keywords |
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Author keywords |
Barcelona Coast; Morphodynamic modeling; Sand budget |
Authors | | Top |
- Sanchez-Arcilla, A.
- García-León, M.
- Gràcia, V.
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Abstract |
Coasts in developed countries are becoming progressively more rigid and sediment-starved, degrading their status under present conditions and with expected acceleration under future climates. The chapter shows how the conflict is mainly between man and nature, so that artificial coasts will require increasing maintenance. To analyze the situation, we have selected the coast of Barcelona, a heavily anthropogenic coastal tract where harbors, groins, and transient nourishment coexist with a growing human pressure. The chapter reviews the present coastal strategies, how to evaluate sustainability, and the possible interventions. The emphasis is on "green" interventions that are based on working aligned with natural processes in order to reduce the monetary and energetic costs of the interventions. The chapter ends with some reflections about the validity of this approach as a function of scale and coastal typology. |
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