The unstoppable demand on the coast for recreational and tourism activities has increased the need for shore and beach protection, as well as the construction of artificial beaches, ports and harbours. Many coastlines are subjected to the direct impact of wind, swell and storm wave activity. As a result, wind-space and wave-driven currents are the dominant mechanisms controlling littoral sand transport and determining the nearshore morphology. In addition, many other physical phenomena, such as tides and associated currents, long waves and storm surges, can play a significant role in the dynamic behaviour of the coastal zone. Special relevance must also be attributed to extreme events.

Distinctive features of coastal zone dynamics are not only due to the nearshore hydrodynamics, but also to the complex local behaviour of the atmosphere. Understanding the meteorology of the coastal zone is complicated by the inherent heterogeneity of its atmospheric boundary layer, due to the irregularity of the coastal topography and the different land sea surface roughness and thermal properties. As a result, complex interactions occur between the atmosphere, ocean and land, inducing large temporal and spatial variations in air-sea exchange processes and wind strength and direction.

The International Conference on Physical Coastal Processes, Management and Engineering Wave modelling and prediction in coastal regions includes the following topics: Wave Modelling; Wave Transformation Hydrodynamics; Extreme Events and Sea Level Rise; Sea Defence and Energy Recovery; Hydrodynamic Forces and Sediment Transport; Pollution and Dispersion; Planning and Beach Design.