Present and Future Challenges of Coastal Erosion in Latin America
Por:
Silva R., Martínez M.L., Hesp P.A., Catalan P., Osorio A.F., Martell R., Fossati M., Da Silva G.M., Marino-Tapia, I, Pereira P., Cienguegos R., Klein A., Govaere G.
Publicada:
1 ene 2014
Resumen:
The coastal zones of Latin America have many landforms and environments,
including sedimentary cliffs, deeply incised estuaries, headlands,
barrier coasts and low lying, muddy coastal plains. These forms will
respond differently to the expected changes in climate and associated
sea level rise, which may produce coastal erosion in the future.
Considering the coasts of Latin America overall, erosion is not yet a
serious threat, although it is widespread and it is severe in some
parts. Major erosion problems are frequently associated with human
intervention in sediment supply, with poor planning or with the
morphodynamic nature of the coast. Permanent erosional processes,
locally or regionally, are caused by tectonic subsidence, deforestation
and the fragmentation of coastal ecosystems, land use changes and
sediment deficits because of infrastructure built along the coast. In
this article we analyse coastal erosion in Latin America and the
challenges it presents to the region. We first highlight the relevance
of Latin America in terms of its biodiversity; then we describe the
population at risk, demographic trends and economic growth throughout
the low lying coastal zones. We also examine the vulnerability of the
region by analyzing the resilience of key coastal ecosystems after
exposure to the most frequent hazards that affect coastal zones in Latin
America, namely tropical cyclones, sea level rise, ocean acidification,
earthquakes and tsunamis. Finally, we discuss seven case studies of
coastal erosion across Latin America. We close the study by pinpointing
the main areas of concern in Latin America and explore possible
strategies to overcome erosion and thus sustain economic growth,
minimize population risk and maintain biodiversity.
Filiaciones:
Silva R.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Ingn, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Martínez M.L.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Ingn, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Hesp P.A.:
School of the Environment, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Catalan P.:
Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
Centro Nacional Para la Investigación en Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales, Santiago, Chile
Osorio A.F.:
Grupo OCEANICOS, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
Martell R.:
Subcordinación de Monitoreo Marino, CONABIO, Mexico City, Mexico
Fossati M.:
IMFIA, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
Da Silva G.M.:
School of the Environment, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Marino-Tapia, I:
Inst Politecn Nacl, Ctr Invest & Estudios Avanzados, Merida, Mexico
Cienguegos R.:
Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Centro Nacional Para la Investigación en Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales, Santiago, Chile
Klein A.:
Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas da Terra e Do Mar, Universidade Do Vale Do Itajaí, Itajaí, Brazil
Govaere G.:
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
|