Spatial and Time Balancing Act: Coastal Geomorphology in View of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

Many coastal processes depend on the geomorphology of the coastal area. Although some areas are naturally prone to high risk, anthropogenic actions further alter their geomorphology, rapidly increasing the risk to coastal areas of disasters by disturbing the spatial and time balance of natural processes. It is a given fact that coastal zones are important social and profitable regions with high population densities. Thus, the management of these areas is critical but complex, calling for interdisciplinary approaches. Nevertheless, international and national agencies urge the application of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) as the most efficient action for sustainable development in the face of diverse problems, such as climate change (IPCC, 2007). Restoring the balance of coastal landforms is one of the major aims of the ICZM process and the explanation of the geomorphological changes that occur on the coast is becoming increasingly important in order to manage coastal resources in a sustainable way (Woodroffe, 2002). While geomorphologic dynamics of coastal areas influence the character of society, the actions of society change the geomorphology at the same time. This is an iterative mechanism that has gained appreciation over the past century. Initially thought of as stand-alone impacts of human intervention on the shorelines, these impacts appeared as connected mechanisms through the dynamics of nature. In the end, they became a threat to human activity at many locations around the world. Additionally, time lag between human intervention and geomorphologic changes underlines the complexity of the management of coastal areas and the importance of scale as a concept for both ICZM and geomorphologic studies (Rotmans and Rothman, 2003).