Coastal erosion due to climate change: assessment and ways of effective mitigation in tourist areas of the North Aegean and Cyprus (BEACHTECH)

The main goal of the BEACHTECH project is to highlight how the coastal zone is adapting to the risks (flood disasters and coastal erosion) due to Climate Change (CC), through the assessment of effective protection projects and actions that can contribute to the sustainable development of one of the most crucial sectors of the Greek and Cypriot economy: coastal tourism.

A complementary and integrated action plan is going to be implemented in close cooperation with the University of the Aegean, the Cyprus University of Technology, the North Aegean Region and the Municipality of Pegeia Cyprus, whose beaches already face significant erosion problems. The project will record the characteristics of the beaches of Lesvos, Chios and Cyprus and will assess with innovative methodologies the flood risk, the coastal erosion and the attractiveness of the tourist destination under Climate Change scenarios.

In addition, on selected pilot beaches (Molyvos, Eresos, Komi, Pegeia) low cost monitoring systems will be installed and will remain operational, also after the end of the program, in order to provide long-term observations on: (a) shoreline and coastline change (useful information for coastal planning) and (b) bearing capacity and use of the beach. These systems provide information (almost in real time) about the beach conditions (e.g., waves, wind, temperature and UV) and can be used by citizens through web applications. The existing erosion risk for the 4 pilot beaches will be assessed with advanced models; protection measures will be designed under different scenarios of CC, considering the cost / benefit of the different options.

The main results of the project will give significant know-how to the competent authorities, to the coastal managers and populations and to the tourism industry of the North East Aegean and Cyprus.