Instability in coastal areas: littorals, foredunes and beaches

The System Theory methodology has been developed in order to assist with the identification of precise management strategies which are suitable for the characterisation of small coastal tracts and which are compatible with the whole of the coastal area being studied. In a first phase of the research the instability phenomenon (scope) was studied in a theoretical way and within a general framework (system), in order to highlight the essential constituent elements and their reciprocal relationships. In a second phase the behaviour of the specific coastal tracts was analysed on the basis of the general considerations resulting from the first phase. Using opportune analytical procedures, the analysis of the results enabled the instability indices to be obtained for the selected tracts and, on the basis of the urgency of the situation, for the most suitable interventions to be identified. Three different themes were addressed in the areas examined which are quite different as regards their ...