Action Strategy for Studying Marine and Coastal Works with Climate Change on the Horizon

Abstract

Climate Change effects can be analysed from different points of view. As far as harbour and coastal engineering are concerned, the most worrying effect is the sea level rise, having been observed over the whole planet during the 20th century, reaching figures up to 1 or 2 millimetres per year. Lately, it has been seen an acceleration of the process, developing an annual rise rate of 3 millimetres in the period between 1993 and 2003. In Spain, this rise in sea level can be estimated between 3 and 5 millimetres a year, although this value is not uniform along the whole coastline. The prediction for the first half of the 21st century forecasts a sea level rise of more than 3 centimetres in the Cantabrian coast, between 15 and 20 centimetres in the Mediterranean Sea and 10 in the Gulf of Cadiz, South West of Spain, in the Atlantic Ocean. This means that beaches will shrink between 10 and 15 metres in the Cantabrian, between 8 and 10 metres in the Mediterranean and 8 metres in the Gulf of Cadiz. These movements may affect structures and properties located on the coast and create concerns amongst people living there, particularly when facing extreme climate events. This research reflects on these phenomena and proposes an action strategy to achieve resilient coastal and harbour structures, in order to make them able to cope with any extreme events that may occur.