Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy

The coastal vulnerability index (CVI) is a popular index in literature to assess the coastal vulnerability of climate change. The present paper proposes a CVI formulation to make it suitable for the Mediterranean coasts; the formulation considers ten variables divided into three typological groups:...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniela Pantusa, Felice D’Alessandro, Luigia Riefolo, Francesca Principato, Giuseppe Roberto Tomasicchio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-09-01
Series:Water
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/9/1218
id doaj-e321295cf9ec41b2bd7bd38fa0335666
record_format Article
spelling doaj-e321295cf9ec41b2bd7bd38fa03356662020-11-24T21:26:09ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412018-09-01109121810.3390/w10091218w10091218Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, ItalyDaniela Pantusa0Felice D’Alessandro1Luigia Riefolo2Francesca Principato3Giuseppe Roberto Tomasicchio4Innovation Engineering Department, University of Salento, I-73100 Lecce, ItalyInnovation Engineering Department, University of Salento, I-73100 Lecce, ItalyDepartment of Engineering, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, I-81031 Aversa, ItalyDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, ItalyInnovation Engineering Department, University of Salento, I-73100 Lecce, ItalyThe coastal vulnerability index (CVI) is a popular index in literature to assess the coastal vulnerability of climate change. The present paper proposes a CVI formulation to make it suitable for the Mediterranean coasts; the formulation considers ten variables divided into three typological groups: geological; physical process and vegetation. In particular, the geological variables are: geomorphology; shoreline erosion/accretion rates; coastal slope; emerged beach width and dune width. The physical process variables are relative sea-level change; mean significant wave height and mean tide range. The vegetation variables are width of vegetation behind the beach and posidonia oceanica. The first application of the proposed index was carried out for a stretch of the Apulia region coast, in the south of Italy; this application allowed to (i) identify the transects most vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges and waves action and (ii) consider the usefulness of the index as a tool for orientation in planning strategies. For the case study presented in this work, the most influential variables in determining CVI are dune width and geomorphology. The transects that present a very high vulnerability are characterized by sandy and narrow beaches (without dunes and vegetation) and by the absence of Posidonia oceanica.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/9/1218coastal vulnerability indexclimate changesea level risestorm surgeswaves actionMediterranean coasts
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Daniela Pantusa
Felice D’Alessandro
Luigia Riefolo
Francesca Principato
Giuseppe Roberto Tomasicchio
spellingShingle Daniela Pantusa
Felice D’Alessandro
Luigia Riefolo
Francesca Principato
Giuseppe Roberto Tomasicchio
Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy
Water
coastal vulnerability index
climate change
sea level rise
storm surges
waves action
Mediterranean coasts
author_facet Daniela Pantusa
Felice D’Alessandro
Luigia Riefolo
Francesca Principato
Giuseppe Roberto Tomasicchio
author_sort Daniela Pantusa
title Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy
title_short Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy
title_full Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy
title_fullStr Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy
title_full_unstemmed Application of a Coastal Vulnerability Index. A Case Study along the Apulian Coastline, Italy
title_sort application of a coastal vulnerability index. a case study along the apulian coastline, italy
publisher MDPI AG
series Water
issn 2073-4441
publishDate 2018-09-01
description The coastal vulnerability index (CVI) is a popular index in literature to assess the coastal vulnerability of climate change. The present paper proposes a CVI formulation to make it suitable for the Mediterranean coasts; the formulation considers ten variables divided into three typological groups: geological; physical process and vegetation. In particular, the geological variables are: geomorphology; shoreline erosion/accretion rates; coastal slope; emerged beach width and dune width. The physical process variables are relative sea-level change; mean significant wave height and mean tide range. The vegetation variables are width of vegetation behind the beach and posidonia oceanica. The first application of the proposed index was carried out for a stretch of the Apulia region coast, in the south of Italy; this application allowed to (i) identify the transects most vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges and waves action and (ii) consider the usefulness of the index as a tool for orientation in planning strategies. For the case study presented in this work, the most influential variables in determining CVI are dune width and geomorphology. The transects that present a very high vulnerability are characterized by sandy and narrow beaches (without dunes and vegetation) and by the absence of Posidonia oceanica.
topic coastal vulnerability index
climate change
sea level rise
storm surges
waves action
Mediterranean coasts
url http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/9/1218
work_keys_str_mv AT danielapantusa applicationofacoastalvulnerabilityindexacasestudyalongtheapuliancoastlineitaly
AT felicedalessandro applicationofacoastalvulnerabilityindexacasestudyalongtheapuliancoastlineitaly
AT luigiariefolo applicationofacoastalvulnerabilityindexacasestudyalongtheapuliancoastlineitaly
AT francescaprincipato applicationofacoastalvulnerabilityindexacasestudyalongtheapuliancoastlineitaly
AT giusepperobertotomasicchio applicationofacoastalvulnerabilityindexacasestudyalongtheapuliancoastlineitaly
_version_ 1725980688866344960