Local Morphological Evolution of the Coast in the Upper Adriatic Sea. Design and Management Strategies to Control Coastal Erosion

Abstract

The subject of the present paper is the control strategy of the dynamic processes affecting the coastline on the basis of the results obtained from simulations conducted under the CENAS Project, regarding the morphological evolution of the coastline. The first part of the paper describes the local evolution around offshore breakwaters from a qualitative point of view. The accumulation rates related to waves, tides and longshore currents behind offshore structures are considered. Between the three selected local sites the protection scheme of offshore breakwaters has been used in the past mainly at Ravenna and along the northern side of Rimini. The physical processes related to these structures are described by DHI. The second section of the paper briefly reports the results of the simulations conducted at the three local sites, highlighting the evolutionary factors which play a major role in determining coastal stability and the results of the macro and local scale flood risk analysis. The last two parts list the various territory management strategies which may be adopted through medium-to-long-term planning or short-term actions for the purpose of limiting the subsidence caused by anthropic factors and of enhancing as far as possible river sediment transport, and deal with the planning criteria for safeguarding the shoreline and for harbor and coastal works in general.