Mapping coastal vulnerability against erosion along the Alicante coastline, Spain José Ignacio Pagán University of Alicante, Spain Pablo Ortíz University of Alicante, Spain Isabel López University of Alicante, Spain This is a section of Tenth InternationaSymposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurement Techniques(DOI: 10.36253/979-12-215-0556-6) by Laura Bonora, Marcantonio Catelani, Matteo De Vincenzi, Giorgio Matteucci Firenze University Press Florence 2024 https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0556-6.68

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The assessment of coastal vulnerability helps prioritize investments to increase coastal resilience. This work aims to map the vulnerability of a 12 km coastal stretch of the province of Alicante, Spain. It is an area where natural spaces with wetlands and important dune ridges alternate with highly urbanized spots. The method calculates a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) through three main indicators: geomorphology (geology, coastal slope, erosion rate, beach width and dune width), hydrodynamics (significant wave height, mean tide range and flood level indicator) and vegetation variables (state of seagrass meadows, depth and width of these meadows and backshore area covered by vegetation). The coastal strip studied was divided into sections of 200 m, obtaining the CVI on each one. The vulnerability of each variable was evaluated from 1 (Very low) to 5 (Very high) and the overall CVI was obtained. The higher values of CVI were detected in the urbanized areas (41% of the sections). Dune ridges serve as barriers to flooding and reduce erosion. A sufficient beach width and slope are crucial to preventing flooding during extreme weather events.

 CVI Coastal vulnerability index Coastal erosion Shoreline Coastal management

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