Soft systems for progressive coastal adaptation to climate change

Introduction

In 2050, approximately 66% of the total population of the 26 European coastal countries lived in coastal regions (Iglesias-Campos et al., 2015 and Forzieri et al., 2017). Concretely, in the Canary Islands, the phenomenon of “littoralisation” is linked to the growth of old urban areas as well as to the construction of new ones in coastal areas not previously occupied in the last decades.

Coastal Transformation

Actually, human-transformed coastlines in the Canary Islands are a reality, and the anthropic pressure on them is evident. In 2017, the islands received up to almost 20 thousand tourists per km of coastline, particularly in the case of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Population Density

In addition, we must not lose sight of the fact that the islands have a high population density rate, which is much higher in coastal areas. This is due to both economic and tourist activities, as well as the island orography that prevents expansion inland.

Future Risks

As a result, it is known that losses from sea flooding in European coastal cities are likely to increase in the future if no further adaptive actions are taken. Without adaptation measures, the modelled losses would amount to EUR 31 billion by 2100.

Project Objective

The objective of the LIFE COSAdapta project is to provide a validated adaptation solution to sea level rise in island and outermost territories, which share similar characteristics.

Implementation Strategy

To this end, during the project, a prototype of an innovative adaptation measure co-designed with participatory processes will be implemented in Quintanilla (Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy).

Prototype Details

The prototype is based on the re-conceptualization of tidal pools into tidal pool-reef, which represents a more holistic and adaptive view of cultural elements on islands.

Validation and Outcomes

The multifactorial validation of the prototype will allow the project to provide a new measure of coastal adaptation in the Nature-Based Flood Defense (NBFD, within Nature-Based Solutions) group, in addition to a new cataloging of coastal blue infrastructure.