Risk Mapping of Coastal Flooding Areas. Case Studies: Scilla and Monasterace (Italy)

Bombino

et al. 2022

Water

Self Cite

Coastal flooding is an important current issue due to climate change and due to significant increases in anthropogenic pressures observed in the second half of the last century. Indeed, climate change has been causing an increase in the frequency and the intensity of various natural events such as floods and sea storms; anthropogenic pressures have caused an increase in impermeable surfaces with negative consequences on the vulnerability of territories under the action of natural events. In this paper, we analyze the effects of climate change in terms of possible increases in floodable areas and in terms of population, infrastructure, coastal dunes, and sites of social, economic, and strategic interest exposed along the coasts of the region of Calabria in southern Italy. Calabria was chosen as a case study due to its geomorphological peculiarities and its considerable anthropogenic pressures. These peculiarities cause significant variability of weather and sea conditions among the different coastal areas, which influences the coastal dynamics and the characteristics of meteorological events. The main results show that, in the analyzed areas, the floodable areas double between current and future scenarios, involving both significant percentages of the population and railways, highways, industrial areas, and coastal dunes.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible Increases in Floodable Areas Due to Climate Change: The Case Study of Calabria (Italy)

Bombino

et al. 2022

Water

Self Cite

“…Often these alterations are caused by anthropogenic factors such as the construction of buildings, infrastructures, ports and coastal defense works in coastal areas [17], and the construction of hydraulic structures interfere with fluvial dynamics such as levees, dams, and inert drains from riverbeds [18,19]. On the other hand, the short-term variations are mainly related to natural factors such as single sea storm [20], cluster of sea storms [21,22], extreme flood events [23], or concurrent events [24][25][26] which cause coastal flooding [27]. Instead, a full dune recovery generally can take several decades [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beach and Dune Erosion: Causes and Interventions, Case Study: Kaulon Archaeological Site

Barillà

et al. 2021

JMSE

Self Cite

The dune systems are very important from an environmental, landscape, and coastal defense point of view within coastal areas. Currently, dune systems are significantly reduced compared to a few decades ago and, in Europe alone, dune systems have decreased by 70%. During the same period, intense beach erosion processes have often been observed, and, currently, 30% of the world’s coasts are eroding. These processes have various causes, both natural and anthropogenic, and the knowledge of the causes of the erosive processes are very important for an effective planning and management of coastal areas and to correctly plan any interventions on dunes and beaches. The paper, through a case study, analyzes the beach and dune erosive processes, their causes, and the possible interventions. The case study concerns the archaeological site of Kaulon, located on a dune in the Ionian coast of Calabria (Italy). The beach near the site was affected by erosive processes and during the winter of 2013–2014, the site was damaged by two sea storms. To identify the causes of these processes, three erosive factors were analyzed. These factors are anthropogenic pressure, wave climate and sea storms, and river transport. The effects produced by these factors were assessed in terms of shoreline changes and of damage to the beach–dune system, also evaluating the effectiveness of the defense interventions. The main causes of the erosive processes were identified through the cross analysis of erosive factors and their effects. This analysis highlighted that in the second half of the last century the erosive processes are mainly correlated to anthropogenic pressure while, recently, natural factors prevail, especially sea storms. Regarding the interventions, the effects produced by two interventions carried out during the winter of 2013–2014, one built in urgency between the first and second sea storm and the other built a few years after the second sea storm were analyzed. This analysis highlighted that the latter intervention was more effective in defending the site.

“…Furthermore, due to anthropogenic pressure there is an increase in the vulnerability of coastal areas to the action of floods and sea storms [27]- [29], especially in case of concurrent events [30]- [32]. The frequency and the intensity of these events can be increased by climate change, which also have consequences on sea level rise and, therefore, on erosive processes [33], [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coastal Erosion Hazard and Vulnerability: Case Study of Porticello, South Calabria, Italy

Barillà

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

et al. 2021

Self Cite

Coastal erosion is due to natural phenomena and anthropogenic interventions that alter the coastal dynamics and the sediment balance. Therefore, to manage the coastal areas and to correctly design the necessary defence interventions, it is necessary to analyze all these factors. Consequently, in recent years the methodologies for the coastal erosion hazard and vulnerability assessment have increasing importance. However, there is currently a lack of a general methodology that considers all the factors that influence the coastal dynamics and, therefore, the hazard and the vulnerability. This paper, through a case study, describes a new methodology based on indices that considers all the factors that influence the hazard and the vulnerability, thus resulting in general validity. This methodology defines two indices of hazard and vulnerability. The hazard index considers all the natural processes that contribute to the phenomenon of coastal erosion, such as tides, currents, average sea level rise due to climate change, wave climate and both coastal and river sediment transport. The vulnerability index, on the other hand, includes all those characteristics of the coast that can make it more or less vulnerable to coastal erosion, such as its geological and morphological characteristics (both of the emerged and submerged part), its evolutionary trend, the presence of dune systems, vegetation and coastal and/or port defence works, the subsidence rates and the degree of waterproofing of the coast. The case study concerns Porticello, a town near the Strait of Messina characterized by a high coastal erosion risk.Porticello represents an interesting case study due to the peculiarities of the Strait of Messina and the presence of numerous coastal structures. The study area extends for about 1.5 km, inside there are numerous coastal structures, two river mouths and numerous houses built close to the shoreline.