The littoral coast plays a central role in human life: the sea shore provides the right conditions for human settlements and the development of various activities. Human pressure on the coasts has grown around the world and is expected to increase further, threatening coastal and marine environments. The cities that interact with the coasts suffer from the impact of harbour infrastructures and activities linked to the sea and are faced with scenarios which are destroying the coasts. The boundaries between land and sea have become areas associated with risk and conflict.
Any attempts to defend and regenerate the coast have to be part of a global management structure of the area which takes into account the vulnerability of the coastal areas and enables resources to be planned in the medium and long term. Management strategies have to include all decision making parties and be based on an integrated knowledge, skills and tools base. Management and organisation of the area needs to take place via local and urban planning, and laws that regulate land exploitation have to be adhered to. Sustainable development, combining the local area’s characteristics and socio-economic make up have to be encouraged, thus protecting the local and regional environment which provide an important resource to the entire Mediterranean basin.
The proposed project aims to integrate the various components constituting a typical coast management programme within a coherent operational context. This includes: building short and long term coastal risk scenarios, identifying methods to be used in the analysis and intervention for the protection of the environment and coastal settlements, operational strategies aimed at the urban management of the coasts, participating in a scheme that is actively involved in conservation practices and the sustainable development of coastal areas.