Resilience and inclusive pathways to a blue economy in coastal regions

Strand: “Human Geography” / Commission: “C.06 Coastal Systems” Paper session: “Managing, protecng, and conserving of the coastal natural resources” Comunicaon Text: The team that is running this session The session (CFP wring and diffusion, abstracts review, disseminaon process) is driven by: Monday, 26th August, 2024 Melanie Biausque; MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine Environmental Research Institute, Cork, Ireland. Shane Mc Guinness; University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Eugene J Farrell; University of Galway, Galway, Ireland Laura del Río; Dept. Earth Sciences, INMAR, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. SEKA FERNAND AYENON; Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny Abidjan, ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire Colin D Woodroffe; University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Javier Alcántara-Carrió; Dept. Geology and Geochemistry. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Emma Chalençon; University College Cork, Cork, Ireland Clara Armaroli, University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy Donald Cayer; University Laval, Québec city, Canada Tuesday, 27th August, 2024 Sien van der Plank; University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom Irene Delgado-Fernandez; 1University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain. Yeray Castillo Campo; Department of Geography, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland. Geological Survey Ireland, Dublin, Ireland Marina d'Avdeew; Laboratory of Physical Geography UMR 8591, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris, France. Artelia, Paris, France. Matteo Meutelet,; Arup, Dublin, Ireland Ashly Kalayil Uthaman; 1Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland. Wednesday, 28th August, 2024 Helen McFadden SABE, TU Dublin, Ireland Marie Cherchelay ; Laboratoire Géolab, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France Shirley A Howe; Irish Climate Analysis Research Centre (ICARUS), Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland Janki Andharia; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India Eric Kojo Wu Aikins; University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana Xuege Wang; Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Lisa Jessen; University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Juliet Rounce ;Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Charles Aimé KOUASSI ;Félix Houphouet Boigny University of Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Pilar Martín-Gallego; University of Cadiz, INMAR, Earth Sciences, Puerto Real (Cádiz), Spain. Saule Akhmetklaiyeva; University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland María-José Prados; University of Seville, Seville, Spain. The Programme “Transdisciplinary science for near-future habitable coasts” First session 08:30 - 10:00 Monday, 26th August, 2024 The Atlanc-Arcc Agora (A-AAgora) project for Ireland: collaboraon-based acons for sustainable coastal restoraon and management. Paper 939 by: Melanie Biausque1, Darragh O'Suilleabháin2, Lee Wah Pay2, Emma Verling1 1MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine Environmental Research Institute, Cork, Ireland. 2Cork County Council, Cork, Ireland Abstract: The Atlantic-Arctic Agora (A-AAgora) project is a Horizon Europe-funded project part of the EU Mission ‘Restore our ocean and waters by 2030’ program. Using demonstration areas across Europe (in Portugal, Norway and Ireland), the project aims to use innovative solutions to propose coastal restoration activities in collaboration with nature and citizens. With the ‘living lab’ approach at the core of the project, Demo Ireland (Co. Cork) adapted this concept by collaborating with community/volunteer-based actions for coastal wetland restoration at Harper’s Island. Multi-disciplinary solutions were successfully tested, providing habitat and increasing biodiversity. This success story has since been reported to facilitate further replication in Ireland and abroad. Another aspect of the Irish A-AAgora work is to identify coastal erosion-related challenges along the Co. Cork coastline. A fuzzy cognitive map was built through collaboration between scientists, stakeholders and decision-makers. Underpinned by existing knowledge, the key social, scientific and economic factors operating in the region and the relationships between them, were identified. Additionally, strategic study sites facing coastal erosion, flooding and human activities were selected for local monitoring in East and West Cork. The next phase of our project is to better understand local long-term morphodynamics at each site, including the potential morphological cycles/patterns, and the impact of evolving hydrodynamics in the context of climate change. The ultimate aim of this work is to identify and propose suitable Nature-based Solutions as sustainable approaches for long-term management plans to tackle coastal erosion locally, and to evaluate the potential to be replicated broadly. Co-creang best pracce for coastal wetland restoraon in the WaterLANDS project. Paper 2697 by: Shane Mc Guinness1, Craig Bullock1, Jane da Mosto2, Albert Vos3 1University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. 2We are here Venice, Venice, Italy. 3Provincie Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands Abstract: Modified coastal wetlands, by design, involve myriad stakeholders with various economic, social and ecological vested interests. These environments also offer significant ecosystem services across provisioning (e.g fisheries), regulating (e.g. nutrient and sediment cycles), cultural (e.g. amenity use), or supporting (e.g. climate impact mitigation). Given that these occupy the midpoint in many socioecological processes, from upper reaches of catchments down to marine nutrient cycles and international commerce, gaining consensus on restoration of coastal wetlands is not an easy task. The WaterLANDS project, funded through the Horizon 2020 Green Deal call, aims to create a new paradigm for the upscaling of wetland restoration in Europe. Of the six restoration sites underway, two (Ems-Dollard estuary NL, Venice Lagoon IT) are coastal in nature. Both areas offer significant ecosystem service provision, across climate, trade, tourism, agriculture and sociocultural intrinsic value. These often-competing interests, and the imbalance of representation and power associated with it, limit the ease at which decisions on restoration strategy are made, the acceptability and effectiveness of measures and the ability to fund these works. WaterLANDS aims to achieve a more holistic approach to restoration, by co-creating a framework centred on knowledge and practical experience on restoring ecological function, effectively engaging communities, characterising suitable governance structures and mobilising catalytic blended finance. The following paper presents initial progress on achieving this structure at two complementary coastal sites with significant scalability potential for restoration and showcases the value of such a model for application at other semi-natural coastal sites across Europe. Coastal and marine Nature-based Soluons: unlocking their full potenal to build coastal resilience Paper 1586 by: Eugene J Farrell, Kevin Lynch University of Galway, Galway, Ireland Abstract: Ireland made a commitment under the newly developed Marine Strategy Framework Directive Programme of Measures to develop Nature-based Solutions to conserve and restore estuarine, coastal and marine habitats. Existing evidence show that a large number of coastal communities, environmental NGO’s, EU-funded programmes and government bodies are already engaged with the transition towards NbS to defend or conserve coastlines with varying degrees of success. This research first provides an overview of over fifty NbS projects in Ireland in different coastal habitats (dunes; machair; saltmarshes; seagrass meadows; oyster reefs; kelp forests) being led by different organizations with different motivations, services delivered, biodiversity value, beneficiaries, and resources. We then present multiple NbS case studies along urban and rural coastlines to illustrate how these projects are successfully building coastal resilience. To make the transition to near future habitable coasts, NbS can play a critical role – especially in building stronger location-specific coastal dynamics knowledge. However there are urgent requirements to do so Europe-wide: (1) new government policies and planning structures to organize the planning, implementation and maintenance of NbS, including coastal community engagement mechanisms to coordinate all stakeholders at every stage in the process; (2) expert staffing resources within local government authorities; (3) a standardized NbS indicator framework to measure the ‘impact’ of NbS projects; and (4) a financial mechanism to facilitate future investment in NbS as ‘new assets’ and biodiversity credits (measurability, monitoring, verification, and certification of the NbS process). Mul-technique approach to coastal behaviour on a sandy barrier in SW Spain Paper 3462 by: Laura del Río1, Javier Benavente1, Cristina Montes2, Lara Talavera3, Theocharis A. Plomaritis2, Juan Montes1, María Puig4, Tomás Fernández-Montblanc1, Irene Delgado-Fernández1 1Dept. Earth Sciences, INMAR, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. 2Dept. Applied Physics, INMAR, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. 3Dept. Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, ESCET, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 4TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain Abstract: Coastal changes are the result of complex interplays among diverse factors occurring at different spatial and temporal scales. For this reason, the use of a variety of research techniques provides a comprehensive understanding of coastal behaviour, aimed at enhancing decision making in coastal management. The monitoring of a vulnerable coastal barrier in SW Spain, comprising both natural and developed beach-dune-saltmarsh systems, has been conducted by combining a wide range of methods, including aerial photography, RTK-DGPS surveys, UAVs, geoarchaeological techniques and numerical modelling. This approach has enabled the identification of evolutionary trends in the coastal barrier across timescales ranging from seasonal and interannual to decadal and centurial, as well as the key drivers influencing those trends (mainly storminess, sediment availability, and human interventions). Complex human-environment interactions in this area are the main factors contributing to the recent increase in recorded beach and dune erosion trends, which have doubled over the last decade in certain sectors of the barrier. The insights gained from this transdisciplinary coastal monitoring can help in designing effective mediumand long-term management plans to ensure the sustainability of human activities in the coastal zone. This involves selecting the most appropriate adaptation options to address coastal erosion and sea level rise, including ongoing interventions such as repeated artificial beach nourishments or dune restoration, as well as potential future approaches like the relocation of coastal infrastructures such as a road and a water channel. Forte anthropisaon et gouvernance de l'espace côer à Jacqueville en Côte d'IvoireStrong anthropizaon and governance of the coastal area of Jacqueville in Ivory Coast Paper 1568 by: SEKA FERNAND AYENON, DIESCIEU AUBIN SYLVERE KAZON, GNANGORAN ALIDA THERESE ADOU Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny Abidjan, ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire ABSTRACT: The Jacqueville coastline is a highly anthropized area due to the rush of economic operators following the opening up of the department by the construction of the bridge linking the peninsula to the continent. This study is a reflection on the governance of multiple fishing activities, extraction of energy resources, real estate development and tourism carried out by local authorities. The collection of information results from consultation of the literature and a field survey. The results obtained show strong land pressure on the coastal strip due to its proximity to the Abidjan district. Thus, the acquisition of land dedicated to economic activities and especially real estate operations arises from administrative laws and particularly customary rules that are often contentious. This strong anthropization induces competition which sometimes leads to conflicts of use. However, the integrated management of the density of activities in the spaces calls for strict application of rules and laws by decentralized and customary entities in the governance of this strip of land. Second session 10:30 - 12:00 Monday, 26th August, 2024 Sea-level rise and coastal erosion: a reconsideraon Paper 948 by: Colin D Woodroffe1, Niki Evelpidou2, Irene Delgado-Fernandez3, David R Green4, Anna Karkani2, Paolo Ciavola5, Dhritiraj Sengupta6 1University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia. 2University of Athens, Athens, Greece. 3University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain. 4University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom. 5Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. 6Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom Abstract: Many of the World’s coastlines are experiencing rising sea levels, and it is often inferred that this will result in widespread coastal erosion. Erosion appeared prevalent in a compilation of evidence derived from maps and aerial photographs undertaken in the 1980s by the International Geographical Union’s Commission on the Coastal Environment. This implied that more than 70% of sandy coastlines had retreated, a generalisation that has been widely cited. We reconsider these finding in respect of the considerable advances in availability and accessibility of remote sensing imagery, with increasingly better resolution and frequency of repeat coverage. Satellites have enabled broad generalisations at regional to global scale, whereas air-borne lidar and drones have been used for local-scale assessments. Shorelines composed primarily of sand or gravel fluctuate over a range of timescales, meaning that trends in their position are highly dependent on techniques and temporal scales adopted to monitor them. Muddy coastlines, and coasts that are rocky or lithified, adjust over longer timescales. In recent decades, there has been rapid expansion of coastal populations, including several of the World’s largest megacities, and many shorelines have been impacted directly or indirectly by anthropogenic activities, including extensive reclamation. It remains challenging to find ways to accurately measure, monitor, model or forecast over appropriate spatial and temporal scales using consistent shoreline proxies, particularly for highly dynamic coastlines. An understanding of sediment availability, movement and variability is needed to discriminate evidence of individual erosional events from longer-term trends in shoreline position. Geomorphological analysis of the rocky coast of the Prebaec System (Southeastern of the Iberian Peninsula) Paper 1271 by: Javier Alcántara-Carrió1,2, José Enrique Tent-Manclús3, Davide Bonomo3, Rogério P. Manzolli1, Jaime Cuevas-González3, Luana Portz1, Davinia Díez-Canseco3, Ángela Fontán-Bouzas4 1Dept. Geology and Geochemistry. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies "Ramón Margalef". Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain. 3Dept. Earth and Environmental Sciences. Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain. 4CIM-UVIGO GEOMA. Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain Abstract: Lithology, structure and a wide range of geological processes determine the geomorphology of rocky coasts. This study aims to determine the geomorphological processes of the microtidal rocky coast, with moderate wave energy, of the Prebaetic System (southeastern of the Iberian Peninsula). New highresolution analysis of coastal geomorphology, based on remote sensing techniques, allows the identification and mapping of a wide number of units with specific geomorphological features. High resolution digital elevation models and slope maps have been computed from LIDAR databases (2x2-m grid cell size). The lithology, faults, folds and caves shown on geological maps and in the literature have been reviewed and improved with the computed maps, satellite images, images taken by UAV and fieldtrips. The distribution of shore platforms has been digitized from satellite images and orthophotographs. The geomorphological analysis shows a high structural control, with a large number of faults and folds that condition the coastline orientation and morphology. The geomorphological units include headlands, plunging to moderate dipping cliffs, with caves and notches, low rocky coasts, shore platforms and nearby islands, marine terraces, coastal plains, fluvial valleys and single to branched gullies, which sometimes develop hanging valleys or gravel pocket beaches on the shoreline. The region shows high to moderate human occupation, associated with intense tourist activity. The identification of the geomorphological units allows determining the process that control the current morphology and their associated geological hazards, contributing to improve the coastal management and, therefore, promoting more sustainable coastal human-environment interactions. Mapping coastal change from RGB historical aerial images, a case study along Cork coastline, Ireland. Paper 2874 by: Emma Chalençon, Jimmy Murphy, Michael O'Shea, Fiona Cawkwell University College Cork, Cork, Ireland Abstract: Coastlines worldwide are coming under increasing pressure due to climate change and human activity. Data on coastal change are essential for coastal managers and Earth Observation proves invaluable in capturing temporal changes. Where coastal changes, or movement of the vegetation line, is typically on the order of less than 1m per year, as observed in Ireland, aerial photography is the most valuable source of regional to national scale information. A well-established literature exists for automated vegetation feature extraction based on the near infrared reflectance, but there is less research available on more spectrally limited RGB images, which are commonly acquired by aerial platforms. This study developed a methodology for automating vegetation line extraction from a series of historical aerial images from the South-West of Ireland. The approach relies on the Normalized Green–Blue Difference Index (NGBDI), which has proved versatile enough to perform well at different resolutions, and in different lighting and seasonal conditions to discriminate very different coastal vegetation environments. An iterative optimal threshold process and the use of LiDAR ancillary datasets resulted in an automated shoreline measurement with uncertainties estimated to be between 0.6 and 1.2m. The method performs best on summer images and where beaches are backed by grasslands. Errors are observed with growing dune systems where small patches of pioneer vegetation can be omitted. Change rates derived from the vegetation lines extracted present uncertainties in the range of ± 0.27 m/year. This robust and repeatable method provides a valuable alternative to timeconsuming and subjective manual digitisation. The retreat of a river delta and coastal barriers over 60 years: the case of Bellocchio, Italy Paper 3461 by: Clara Armaroli, Stefano Fabbri University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy Abstract: Washover deposits are formed by storm events that can overwash coastal barriers, leading to sediment transport and deposition in the back barrier. The presence of washover deposits is a testimony of transgressive processes and of the impact of storms combined with SLR. The Bellocchio site is located in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), facing the Adriatic Sea. It is characterised by the presence of a sand barrier with dunes located in front of a brackish marsh. The area is part of the former Reno River delta that belongs to the larger Po River delta system and is one of the last natural sites of the Region. It represents an important ecosystem service in a vulnerable coast characterised by the overexploitation of its resources (Nordstrom et al., 2015). The Reno River delta has been eroding since mid 1900s due to human interventions in the catchment and along the coast that have caused sediment starvation. The shoreline of the barrier shows very high retreat rates (~ 9 m/yr) between 1955 and 2019. The fast and continuous shoreline retreat has been accompanied by a progressive erosion of the dunes and the barrier, and by the formation of many washover deposits generated by storms with high surge levels. The present work describes the geomorphic evolution of a natural barrier system and washover deposits, and the progressive dismantling of the Reno River delta using shoreline analysis, volume change computation, historical data, remote sensing information, combined with the analysis of the marine forcing components. Tidal marsh morphostragraphy in the St. Lawrence estuary: autocyclic developpement in a context of coastal emersion Paper 3124 by: Donald Cayer, Matthew Hatvany University Laval, Québec city, Canada Abstract: Since the 19th century, studies of marsh deposits have revealed marshes to sequester mineral and organic sediments while growing over time. It is important to take account that most of these studies took place on geologically subsiding coasts characterized by relative sea-level (RSL) rise with sedimentation rates greater than subsidence. Recognizing this epistemological problem, this study capitalizes on the distinctive context of coastal emergence of the St. Lawrence estuary, featuring one of the largest maximum turbidity zones in the world. Surprisingly, few studies have attempted to decipher the complex dynamics of tidal marsh evolution through morphostratigraphy in a falling RSL context . These epistemological deficiencies hinder to place the St. Lawrence tidal marshes evolution into a broader international context. This study aims to fill this gap by comparing four marshes of the St. Lawrence estuary through their morphostratigraphy and to unravel the influence of extrinsic factors, ecomorphological feedbacks, coastal configuration, and falling RSL on the evolutionary dynamics. Unlike rising RSL studies based on three-facies evolutionary model (mudflat, low and high marsh), the results illustrate a more complex and dynamic stratigraphy, challenging established notions and raising questions about the understanding of their development. These preoccupations are particularly pertinent for emerging coastlines, like northern Canada, where the concept of accommodation space seems more weakly linked to vertical accretion than lateral accretion. Our morphostratigraphy exposes non-linear, autocyclic, asynchronous and site-specific evolutionary characters. It also explains neglected links with the morphology of the surrounding lowlands through terrace-like-steps that are both determined and contributive to marsh dynamics. “Managing coastal hazards and minimizing vulnerability” First session 10:30 - 12:00 Tuesday, 27th August, 2024 Transformaonal adaptaon on the coast: policy opportunies and barriers for local stakeholder involvement in England Paper 177 by: Sien van der Plank University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom Abstract: Similarly to other coasts worldwide, the English coastline will experience many changes in the twenty-first century and beyond, across industries, social and health factors, and with coastal hazards such as erosion and flooding being driven by sea level rise, climate change and adaptation decision making. “Transformational adaptation” provides an opportunity to address these changes synchronously by being proactive, adopting systems wide working, and looking to the long-term future. But the empirical evidence base of contemporary transformational adaptation to coastal change is scant, and the limited research that considers transformational adaptations is either focused inland on agriculture, or theoretical and conceptual. This paper aims to identify enablers and barriers to local stakeholder involvement in existing policy and practice landscapes for transformational adaptation. Through twenty-one interviews with coastal management stakeholders on the English coastline, the role and involvement of local stakeholders (including residents) in transformational adaptation is characterised. The results indicate that transformational adaptation remains a distant aspiration in the current English coastal management system, with local stakeholders possessing limited capacity to initiate it. The perceived role for residents in adaptation processes often remains focused on their being recipients of adaptation education and interventions, and there remain significant barriers to their further involvement. The paper concludes that despite a widely shared appetite among the interviewees for fundamental changes to the coastal adaptation process, there is limited evidence of ongoing transformational adaptation in the English context, and there are key areas for policy development to support capacity to develop engaged transformational adaptation practices. Exploring the relaonship between sandy coast response to large storms and beachdune management policies: The Case of Hurricane Fiona on PEI Naonal Park. Paper 2616 by: Irene Delgado-Fernandez1, Robin Davidson-Arnott2, Jeff Ollerhead3, Elizabeth George4, Chris Houser5, Bernard Bauer6, Patrick Hesp7, Ian Walker8, Danika van Proosdij9 1University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain. 2University of Guelp, Guelph, Canada. 3Mount Allison University, Sackville, Canada. 4University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada. 5University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. 6University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada. 7Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. 8University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA. 9Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada Abstract: Hurricane Fiona was the strongest storm to strike Prince Edward Island (PEI, Canada) in nearly a century, with significant wave heights reaching 8 metres, and strong winds causing widespread damage to infrastructure. The impact of Hurricane Fiona on sandy beach-dune systems within Prince Edward Island National Park (PEINP) provides an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of current management policies and practices and to consider potential changes that enhance the role of foredunes and beaches as natural defenses against future storms and rise in relative sea level. This study used survey data and ground/UAV photography to compare various locations along the north coast of PEI before (October 2021 to July 2022) and after (October 2022 and May 2023) the storm. High dunes underwent stoss slope erosion, yet the foredune crest’s height or position remained relatively unchanged, providing protection to areas landward. Low dunes were substantially eroded, resulting in overwash in certain locations. Dunes situated on bedrock and till were entirely eroded, revealing the underlying surface. Regarding management, coastal areas characterized by high dunes and a positive dune sediment budget were effective in safeguarding infrastructure inland, but low dunes lacked the capacity to protect against flooding. The influence of Hurricane Fiona on PEINP highlights the need to reinforce current management approaches that aim at preserving the natural biotic and abiotic elements of beach-dune systems within the Park. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity to allocate space for the natural landward migration of these systems in response to relative rising sea level. Innovave quality and quantave assessment of EO products aimed at shoreline change monitoring and its suitability for coastal change applicaons Paper 1227 by: Yeray Castillo Campo1,2, Xavier Monteys2, Conor Cahalane1 1Department of Geography, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland. 2Geological Survey Ireland, Dublin, Ireland Abstract: Accurate measurements of coastal zone change have critical environmental and socio-economic implications today due to climate change and the risk associated with rising sea levels. Earth Observation products have been used to monitor coastal zone change since the 1970’s with the Landsat program. The recent appearance of the EU Copernicus Sentinels in 2014 has enabled measuring waterlines and land cover coastal information to unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions, supporting coastal change research (e.g. erosion and accretion). Coastal Change from Space project (2019-2022), has created a large database of satellite datasets (optical and SAR) linked to coastal change for the period spanning between 1995-2022. However, a robust and innovative validation strategy does not exist and is deemed essential to ensure applicability, forecasting and encourage further development. Quality controls, uncertainty models and verification workflows must also improve to confidently employ satellite-derived products for monitoring coastal change. This project aims to develop a novel methodology to assess the quality, accuracy and applicability of the existing satellite products to monitor coastal change in Ireland and abroad. It seeks to develop an innovative validation strategy via several objectives: (a) assess internal quality indicators (b) geo-accuracy, metric, shape integrity of products and quantify the budget error, and (c) verify the applicability of EO products. The methodology will also incorporate environmental factors ensuring the variability of coastal scenarios. This new validation methodology is expected to be the first to fully assess the adequacy of selected EO products to describe coastal evolution in key coastal environments. Second session 14:00 - 15:30 Tuesday, 27th August, 2024 Reducing coastal risks with nature restoraon projects: opportunies for the implementaon of Nature-Based Soluons in the North of France. Paper 1583 by: Marina d'Avdeew1,2, Lydie Goeldner-Gianella1, Delphine Grancher3, Robin Sigwald4 1Laboratory of Physical Geography UMR 8591, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris, France. 2Artelia, Paris, France. 3Laboratory of Physical Geography UMR 8591,, Paris, France. 4Artelia, Lyon, France Abstract: “Greener” approaches to coastal defense are slowly developing in France, through national policies following the Xynthia storm in 2015 and paving the way for Nature-Based Solutions. Several intertidal habitats restoration projects came to light in the last 20 years, both for ecological and protection reasons. However, they struggle to develop, still facing numerous oppositions and limits in their perceptions by local populations, appearing as less efficient than grey defenses, such as sea walls. This study is based : on a survey conducted in May and June 2021 in the Authie Bay, in the North of France, with 129 local inhabitants and tourists ; on a series of interviews conducted with coastal engineers and environmentalists in the engineering firm Artelia, between June and August 2023 ; and on model tests carried in Artelia to try and assess the efficiency of Nature-Based Solutions for the Authie Bay case (these tests are currently under elaboration and will be carried out between March and July 2024). An intertidal habitats restoration projection is currently under development in the Authie Bay, through levee realignment and breeching, to reduce flooding risks. This case study is part of a PhD work on the mobilization of Nature-Based Solutions as a tool to reduce coastal risks and aims to highlight the disparities between the social perception of Nature-Based Solutions and their probable efficiency according to engineering data. Management of coastal hazards with a long term beach management plan including nature-based soluons in eroding coastal areas: case study Greystones North beach. Paper 2797 by: Matteo Meutelet, Susana Lizondo, Sean Mason Arup, Dublin, Ireland Abstract: INTRODUCTION As part of the Greystones Harbour construction in 2008, computational modelling of the coastal zones affected identified the necessity to protect and manage the adjacent 2km long beach and associated cliffs. Natural based solutions in combination with a beach monitoring programme were proposed and implemented to improve the proposed tender solution consisting of a rock revetment. The proposal would have involved the rigidisation of the coastline and accelerated loss of the beach in front of the revetment. METHODOLGY Over the 15-year monitoring period, cliffs and emerged beach area were surveyed on annual basis. Soft coastal protection measures such as beach nourishment were proposed, designed, and implemented when appropriate. The data collected over the monitoring period allowed for a better understanding of how nature-based solutions can help to preserve public amenity areas, their benefits and associated challenges in comparison to hard solutions. The data also helped to understand the local coastal hydrodynamics and behaviour of the coastline versus predicted behaviour. The beach management strategy demonstrated positive outcomes, with measured erosion rates generally remaining below the forecasted projections. However, because of the dynamic nature of coastal processes, coupled with seasonal storms and unpredictable climate change effects, the beach management strategy required adaptive measures and management. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate management plans which include nature-based solutions for coastal areas may offer significant advantages to preserve the natural environment and enhance social aspects. The data obtained from this case study showed these benefits and also associated challenges for its implementation and management of coastal erosion. Wave climate analysis near the Irish coast: WAM - SWAN modeling from present to future Paper 1930 by: Ashly Kalayil Uthaman1, Tomasz Dabrowski2, Gerard McCarthy1, Sebastian Brune3, André Düsterhus4 1Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland. 2Ocean Science and Information Services Marine Institute Headquarters, Galway, Ireland. 3Institute of Oceanography, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Universität Hambur, Hamburg, Germany. 4Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark Abstract: Coastal regions are dynamic environments influenced by various atmospheric and oceanic processes. Understanding the complex interplay of these forces is crucial for coastal management, navigation and impact assessments. This becomes especially crucial when investigating climatological scale dynamics. In this study, two state-of-the-art third generation wave models, WAM (Wave Action Model) and SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore ) are utilized for numerical wave projection. The methodology involves nested modeling approach by configuring SWAN within WAM to simulate waves at finer resolution near the Irish