Author(s)

F. Taveira-Pinto

Abstract

Vulnerability, sensibility or coastal indicators? A preliminary analysis for a methodology of risk analysis F. Taveira-Pinto IHRH-FEUP, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal Abstract The strong coastal erosion, which has been increasing on many coasts, emerges as a consequence of different processes, acting in the land/sea interface area. These processes have their origin in either human or natural actions, all contributing to the degradation of coastal landscape. This deterioration is strongly connected to the intense human occupation of coastal areas, which transforms them into areas with a greater environmental vulnerability and risk, in relation to erosion and flood events. The development of environmental vulnerability and risk methodologies aiming at the production of digital cartography, in order to support territorial planning in coastal areas, is also of great importance in the decision process. The concept of vulnerability can also be understood as a sensibility analysis or coastal indicators. This paper intends to give not only a global perspective of the vulnerability/risk aspects, but also the new approaches running under the scope of some EU projects, particularly the EUROSION Project. Keywords: vulnerability, coastal indicators, risk, uncertainty. 1 Introduction The environmental vulnerability could be described as the response ability in a catastrophic situation. The bigger this response ability is, the lower the environmental vulnerability and damage will be. The vulnerability of a coastal unit exposed to the sea actions (waves, tides, currents, flood, winds, etc) represents the sensibility to those actions expressed through hydromorphological changes.

Keywords

vulnerability, coastal indicators, risk, uncertainty.