The Coastal Scenery of São Miguel Island, Azores Archipelago: Implications for Coastal Management

Abstract

In this study, coastal scenic beauty was assessed at 29 sites at São Miguel, which is one of the Azores Islands, i.e., a group of remote volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The assessment was based on in situ observations and the use of the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES), which consists of a checklist with 26 physical- and anthropic-weighted parameters and the Fuzzy Logic Approach (FLA) mathematical tool. The study sites were classified into five classes according to their typology and their scenic value, ranging from Class I (natural sites of great scenic beauty) to Class V (unattractive, urbanized sites). Concerning beach typology, 13% were remote, 28% rural, 28% village, and 31% urban. Concerning scenic beauty, 10% of the sites belonged to Class I, 14% to Class II, 17% to Class III, 31% to Class IV, and 28% to Class V. The physical parameters were linked to the characteristics of the geological volcanic landscapes, and the anthropic parameters essentially reflected the presence of tourism and public services. The results of the assessment provide a scientific basis for developing a management strategy for the preservation and conservation of the coastal areas and their sustainable development.

Coastal Adaptation Pathways and Tipping Points for Typical Mediterranean Beaches Under Future Scenarios

“…Coastal adaptation [7] offers a flexible and holistic [8] approach to risk reduction in terms of key parameters, mainstreaming natural resilience into coastal management plans. These plans should, in our case, explicitly consider Mediterranean weather variability [9,10] under future scenarios [10], together with the multiple infrastructures affecting coastal dynamics and supported by GIS and statistical tools depending on site-specific criteria [11,12]. Adaptation plans should be tailored to the features of the analysed coastal archetype [13], considering its socioeconomic and biophysical 2 features, as well as the limitations imposed by the availability of resources such as freshwater or sediment [14], commonly affecting Mediterranean coastal archetypes.…”

Coastal Adaptation Pathways and Tipping Points for Typical Mediterranean Beaches under Future Scenarios

“…Coastal adaptation [9] offers a flexible and holistic [10] approach to risk reduction in terms of key parameters, mainstreaming resilience into coastal management plans. These plans should, in our case, explicitly consider Mediterranean weather variability [11,12] under future scenarios [12], together with the multiple infrastructures affecting coastal dynamics and supported by GIS and statistical tools depending on site-specific criteria [13,14]. Adaptation plans should be tailored to the features of the analyzed coastal archetype [15], considering its socioeconomic and biophysical features, as well as the limitations imposed by the availability of resources, such as freshwater or sediment [16], commonly affecting coastal Mediterranean archetypes.…”