Seawalls and quays
Description Seawalls are structures made of hard material (e.g. stones, concrete, masonry or sheet piles), built to protect the inland area against wave action and to prevent coastal erosion. Seawalls also serve to stabilize eroding cliffs and to protect coastal roads and settlements. They are built parallel to the shore at the transition between the […]
Groynes, breakwaters, artificial reefs and jetties
Description A groyne is a shore protection structure built perpendicular to the shoreline to reduce the longshore drift and to trap sediments (I, Γ, Y, ৲ configurations are frequently used). Since groynes induce an updrift beach expansion, and trigger a downdrift erosion, a series of groynes acting together to protect a beach (“groyne system”) is often needed, […]
Storm surge gates / flood barriers
Description Storm surge gates/flood barriers are fixed installations that allow water to pass in normal conditions, and have gates or bulkheads that can be closed against storm surges or spring tides to prevent flooding. They are built to protect urban areas and infrastructure where storm surges and sea flooding could have major impacts. They can […]
Water saving and recycling
DESCRIPTION Longer dry periods in Europe and a decreasing trend in average precipitation have been experienced since the second half of 20th century, especially in summer and in southern areas, including the Mediterranean and the Adriatic-Ionian region (EEA, 2017 indicator assessment of precipitation) leading to occasional water shortages. In addition, the increase of temperature projected […]
Reduction of soil consumption and surface unsealing in urban areas
Description Urbanization is transforming land formerly used by agriculture or as a natural area into artificial and sealed surfaces. The impermeabilisation of surfaces, as a consequence of increasing urbanization, leads to loss of essential surfaces for rain water infiltration. The climate change brings the increase of extreme weather events including heavy rains. As a consequence, […]
Adaptation through integrated fire management
Description Climate change projections (EEA-Indicator Assessment on Forest Fire, 2019) suggest substantial warming and increases in the number of heat waves and droughts across most of the Mediterranean area and more generally in southern Europe. These changes would prolong the duration and worsen the severity of the fire season, further increase the risk areas and […]
Protection and restoration of Posidonia oceanica meadows
Description In the case of beach/coastal erosion, an important „defence role“ is played by seagrasses. Seagrasses entrap the sediment, stabilize the seafloor and thus, prevent erosion of the coasts. When seagrasses trap the sediment, the bottom gets shallower, and the waves break further away from the shoreline, resulting in less coastal erosion during storms. Seagrasses also slow […]
Green spaces and corridors in urban areas
DESCRIPTION Green spaces in cities provide cooling through shading and enhanced evapotranspiration, thus reducing the urban heat island (UHI) effect that occurs due to the modification of land surfaces and generation of waste heat. Green corridors, i.e. long green spaces in the cities and river-valleys which flow among the cities, can change the micro climate […]
Risk-based zoning and siting for aquaculture
DESCRIPTION Aquaculture is a key sector for the blue economy in the Adriatic-Ionian Region, with a significant potential for increasing development. In the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) aquaculture is considered as one of the most promising activities of all coastal countries of the region. Despite this high potential, the […]
Diversification of fisheries and aquaculture products and systems
DESCRIPTION Marine ecosystems are already experiencing the redistribution of species and habitats due to the climate change and these changes are likely to be magnified in the future. Water warming and changes in terms of the primary production are found to directly influence nekton composition in the Northern Adriatic Sea, driving the decrease of species […]