Foreshore Assessment using Space Technology (FAST)

Reducing flood risks is one of the most pressing challenges facing European coastal managers. Sea level rise, climate change and increasing coastal populations, intensify this challenge, demanding innovative approaches towards coastal management. Vegetated foreshores naturally defend against coastal flooding and erosion. This means that conserving and restoring natural coastal ecosystems can play an important role in reducing flood risks, and is increasingly becoming a cost-effective flood defence solution. FAST is a multi-disciplinary project aiming to investigate and better understand the role that such natural systems can play in improving resilience of coastal areas. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data from foreshores, FAST looks at how specific characteristics of vegetated foreshores affect wave energy and erosion and develop novel ways to get the information needed from satellite images, so as to predict shoreline protection. FAST know-how is developed, in close collaboration with end-users, into an easy-to use service. This service will be a sustainable, long-term contribution to European flood risk management, allowing governmental agencies, industry consultants, NGOs and Citizens, to easily assess the potential of vegetated foreshores in reducing flood and erosion risks.