The development of Coastal Protection Strategies considering the climate change effects for the provinces of Cádiz, Málaga and Almería is an initiative financed by the EC´s Structural Reform Support Programme upon request of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), Directorate General for the Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea (DGSCS).

It aims to apply an integrated approach, considering those physical, environmental and institutional factors interrelated with coastline evolution, flood risk, public domain occupations, erosion problems and the effects of climate change, to identify the most appropriate coastal protection measures for the provinces of Cádiz, Málaga and Almería.

General Objective

The project is being implemented by a European consortium led by the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC) which includes the Environmental Hydraulics Institute (IHCantabria), the University of Cádiz and the network MedCities. Working in close cooperation with MITECO, over the next 24 months the team carries out a diagnosis for better understanding of the coastal erosion problems, an analysis of possible scenarios and risk reduction options, and design the Coastal Protection Strategies along the coasts of Cádiz, Málaga and Almería. The Strategies will be developed taking into account other relevant key stakeholders in the provinces.

This project will be aligned with the existing Strategy of Adaptation of the Spanish Coast to Climate Change, Coastal Law 22/1988, Law 2/2013 of Protection and Sustainable Use of the Coast and amending Law 22/1988, the General Regulation of the National Coastal Act (R.D 876/2014) and the EU Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks).

Specific Objectives

Concretely, the project seeks to:

• understand and characterize coastal erosion problems under an integrated approach, regarding all aspects of the coastal zone, and under the modern approach for Disaster Risk Management (DRM);
• propose a planning instrument for coastal protection (the Strategy)  including the viable alternatives addressing all phases of the DRM cycle (including prevention, preparedness and recovery) and the corresponding implementation plan.

Final documents and Strategy for Coastal Protection of Cadiz, Almería and Málaga considering Climate Change effects (in Spanish)

Beneficiary

Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic challenge (MITERD); Dictetorate General for the Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea (DGSCS),Spain