Coastal Vulnerability Assessment along the North-Eastern Sector of Gozo Island (Malta, Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

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.

Relative Sea-Level Rise Scenario for 2100 along the Coast of South Eastern Sicily (Italy) by InSAR Data, Satellite Images and High-Resolution Topography

“…Lambeck et al [30], Antonioli et al [31]; Marsico et al [79] and Antonioli et al [32], constrained the spatially variable VLMs based on long-term geological data (mainly the elevation of the marine terraces of the MIS 5.5) to obtain RSLR scenarios for 2100 along low-lying coasts of the Italian peninsula. Recently, instrumental data from GNSS networks, InSAR observations and tide gauges have been considered in these projections for the realization of inundation hazard maps in several areas such as the coasts of California [34] and specific coasts of Italy [11,17,32,71,77,80,109,110], assuming that VLM rates measured by geodetic instruments will remain constant in the coming decades in a specific coastal zone.…”

Tingkat Kerentanan Pesisir Di Utara Dan Timur Pulau Bintan Provinsi Kepulauan Riau Tahun 2020

“…Kata kunci: kerentanan pesisir, metode CVI, Pulau Bintan PENDAHULUAN Kawasan pesisir merupakan wilayah yang sangat dinamis, unik, dan kompleks karena menjadi zona transisi dan interaksi antara daratan, perairan, dan atmosfer. Interaksi tersebut menjadikan kawasan pesisir memiliki potensi sumberdaya hayati dan non-hayati yang besar sehingga menjadi sasaran untuk pengembangan aktivitas masyarakat seperti pemukiman, industri, pelabuhan, perikanan tangkap, pertambakan, pertanian serta pariwisata (Bukvic et al 2020;Dhiauddin & Gemilang 2018;Giambastiani et al 2017;Hamuna et al 2018;Reimann et al 2018;Rizzo et al 2020;Ward et al 2011). Di sisi lain, interaksi ini menyebabkan wilayah pesisir selalu mengalami perubahan profil yang merupakan kemampuan alami pesisir untuk terus berada dalam kondisi kesetimbangan alami dan juga menyebabkan kawasan pesisir menjadi kawasan paling rentan di Bumi (Field et al 2014;Imran et al 2020;Suhana et al 2016).…”

An Innovative Approach to Determine Coastal Scenic Beauty and Sensitivity in a Scenario of Increasing Human Pressure and Natural Impacts due to Climate Change

“…Finally, for wide-scale studies, it could be interesting to represent, in a map, the different sensitivity groups, making the results and priorities easier to read and interpret for coastal managers, e.g., [96]. An overview of parameters, trends, correction factors and sources used for sensitivity assessment regarding natural processes and human pressure can be found in Appendix A.…”