ABSTRACT
At the end of 2006, many stretches of S’Abanell Beach (Catalonia, Spain) were gone and the functional condition of the beach was in a critical state. A cascade of cumulative effects resulting from multiple activities that were carried out without any comprehensive plan of action resulted in a loss of ecosystem functionality. Redressing this situation was an urgent need. A peliminary beach assessment work served as a guide for the process of restoration. Following the European Eurosion project recommendations, a process divided into three phases was carried out; a) to assess the forcing drivers – through time and space – responsible by the coastal erosion in S’Abanell Beach as well as their interactions, b) to calculate the sediment balance in the region and, c) to make responses to coastal erosion pro-active and planned. The final idea – still in progress – was to develop an Integrated Plan for the protection of the delta region using an Integrated Coastal Zone Management framework based in an ecosystem-based management approach. Today, the beach shows some new signs of functionality and all related stakeholders work on mantaining this pace of recovery or strengthening it with the aim of achieving the highest possible degree of renaturalization.
