The coastal landscape of the Maltese Islands is the result of long-term evolution, influenced by tectonics, geomorphological processes, and sea level oscillations. Due to their geological setting, the islands are particularly prone to marine-related and gravity-induced processes, exacerbated by climate change. This study aligns different concepts into a relatively concise and expedient methodology for overall coastal vulnerability assessment, taking the NE sector of Gozo Island as a test case. Geomorphological investigation, integrated with analysis of marine geophysical data, enabled characterization of coastal dynamics, identifying this stretch of coast as being potentially hazardous. The study area features a high economic value derived from tourist and mining activities and natural protected areas, that altogether not only make coastal vulnerability a major concern but also the task of assessing it complex. Before introducing the methodology proposed for overall vulnerability assessment, an in-depth revision of the vulnerability concept is provided. The evaluation was carried out by using a set of key indicators related to local land use, anthropic and natural assets, economic activities, and social issues. Results show that the most critical areas are located east of Marsalforn including Ramla Bay, an important tourist attraction hosting the largest sandy beach in Gozo. The method combines physical exposure and social vulnerability into an overall index. It proves to be cost effective in data management and processing and is suitable for the identification and assessment of overall vulnerability of coastal areas to consequences of climate- and marine-related processes, such as coastal erosion, landslides and sea level rise.
Coastal ecosystems and anthropic activities are prone to be affected by the negative impact of marine-related processes induced by climate change, such as erosion, flooding and permanent inundation. Studies aiming at defining potential risk scenarios represent a valuable tool for the identification of the most suitable coastal adaptation measures. After outlining sea level rise implications at the Mediterranean scale, this paper deals with inundation risk scenarios for the years 2050 and 2100 for the north-eastern sector of the Island of Gozo (Malta), central Mediterranean Sea. The analysis, carried out by applying an index-based procedure, firstly required the evaluation of the susceptibility to inundation of the investigated coastal stretch under different sea level projections. Then, the spatial combination of inundation susceptibility with the exposure and vulnerability of the area allowed identification of the most critical sectors in terms of coastal risk. The results of the analysis showed that, under the worst-case climate scenarios, 5.5% and 8.1% of the investigated coastal sector are prone to very high inundation risk (Class R4) in 2050 and 2100, respectively. In particular, the bays of Ramla and Marsalforn, which are characterized by significant economic and touristic activities, were found to be the sites where the expected impacts of future sea level rise will be higher if no management strategy and adaptation action are taken in the near future.
<p>Coastal hazards, including marine-related and gravity-induced processes such as landslides, coastal erosion, storm water runoff and coastal flooding, may have different impacts mainly due to local geomorphological characteristics and natural and anthropogenic settings. The sustainable conservation of coastal areas represents a worldwide issue and therefore, coastal vulnerability and risk assessments are of paramount importance for ensuring appropriate coastal management.</p><p>This study is focused on the assessment of coastal vulnerability along the NE sector of the Island of Gozo (Malta, Mediterranean Sea), which is characterized by diverse landforms, including plunging cliffs, sloping coasts, pocket beaches, shore platforms and a large sandy beach partly backed by dunes. Results of detailed geomorphological investigation, integrated with the analysis of marine geophysical data, show that the study area is particularly susceptible to mass movements, coastal flooding and erosion processes.</p><p>From the economic point of view, Gozo Island is considered an attractive geotourist destination due to its high environmental, cultural and geological heritage. In particular, the study area hosts Roman remains and two important natural protected areas included in the Natura 2000 network. Moreover, the presence of quarrying areas contributes to increase the economic value of the study area.</p><p>The evaluation of coastal vulnerability refers to the methodological approach proposed in the framework of the EU-funded RISC-KIT project, partially modified to adapt the method to the context of the study area and to the available information. Specifically, the method is based on the evaluation of the exposed elements in the investigated area by applying a set of indicators related to the local land use, anthropogenic and natural assets, and economic activities. Furthermore, a social vulnerability indicator is applied to evaluate the socio-economic characteristics of the population potentially exposed to coastal hazards. Available data is overlaid and reclassified by means of specific GIS tools in order to obtain the overall vulnerability level of the investigated area, represented on a coastal vulnerability map.</p><p>Results highlight that 18.3% of the study area is characterized by high to very high vulnerability: including Marsalforn Bay, which hosts an extensive urban centre, and the area nearby Dahlet Qorrot Bay, where a natural protected site is located. Ramla Bay, a very important tourist attraction hosting the largest sandy beach in Gozo, is characterized by very high vulnerability. Most of the investigated area (61.3%), is however characterized by a medium level of vulnerability, while areas characterized by low vulnerability (20.4%) mainly correspond to abandoned agricultural fields and bare rocks outcrops.</p><p>This research represents a first attempt at the assessment of coastal vulnerability in the Maltese archipelago, and shows that the method used can be easily applied to other Mediterranean coastal areas providing policy makers with comprehensive coastal vulnerability information. The latter is crucial to approaching sustainability, through integrated coastal management.</p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.