3 3 PURPOSE OF COASTAL VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS
3.4 SCALE OF APPLICATION
Townend and Fleming (1994) note that the scalar extent o f coastlines is highly varied (metres to hundreds of kilometres), and the effects experienced at a site-specific location are related to existing coastal resources and man-made structures therein.
Additionally, the effective management o f a coastline depends primarily on the role the relevant management agency plays. Hence, the coastal process information to be presented and interpreted has to be summarised and represented in a useful format, at a scale best suited for management purposes. It is suggested that the most effective scale to achieve this should be only a few kilometres in length (Townend and Fleming 1994).
The literature analysis revealed four scales (Table 3.2)12.
Table 3.2 Application Scales derived from the L iterature (Source: Original)
Global/international application 1.5,000,000 or larger Global to very large. > 1.5,000,000 and > 1:2,000,000
Medium area < 1:1,000,000 and > 1:10,000
>1000 km (global/intemational/interregional, regional, and local) depends on the CC requirements of the identified study area. Classifications and indices proposed for large areas, of course, lack considerable detail and resolution, and result in generalisations of coastal types and responses (Marques and Julia 1987, Fricker and Forbes 1988, Jelgersma et al.
1993 and Richmond et al. 2001).
Some authors (Bainbridge and Rust 1994, Gomitz 1990, Gomitz et al. 1994), however, have attempted to use detailed indices at a smaller resolution. The variations in spatial resolution included:
• A few metres (Cambers 1998),
12 Refer to Appendix 3.1 Table la, for die number of authors in die respective categories.
13 Several proposals put forward at die international and intergovernmental levels relating to general procedures for coastal vulnerability and sensitivity assessment, providing a basic starting point from which all countries determine at least a preliminary assessment of the vulnerability of their coastline.
14 Applied to adjacent countries and dissimilar countries with similar coastline classifications were identified
15 This category is important since it is the scale that can be best applied to most SIDS or a localised or site-specific stretch of coastline.
16 These application scale categories have been developed by this author to determine, based on the review, the most effective methodologies that can be applied within a SIDS context.
• A few hundred metres (Bush et al. 1999, Young et al. 1996);
• 500 m by 500 m (Price 1990 and Price et al. 2000, Shepherd and Ormond 1987);
• A few kilometres in length (Dal Cin & Simeoni 1989 and 1994, Al-Bakri 19%
and El-Raey 1997);
• 5' latitude and 5' longitude (Gomitz et al. 1990, Gomitz et al. 1993, Thieler et al. 1999).
Scale consideration is also relevant as it can hide important differences in coastal form.
This was observed by Jelgersma et al. (1993) where the noticeable variations, at ground level in some low lying areas, were not accurately reflected in the final map outputs.
Global and interregional scales are important in the formulation o f international and interregional policies, and where appropriate, national CM policy guidelines. However, generalised global methods are still highly limited in their application at the local levels.
Where this has been attempted it has been possible to develop a preliminary general analysis o f vulnerability to SLR and other risk issues (e.g. Leatherman and Nicholls 1995, Nicholls and Leatherman 1995). It has, however, been able to identify data gaps, in order that additional detailed national studies can be performed. This also identified the need for independent local modification, especially if they are to be applied within a SIDS context. Further modification considerations are still required to capture SIDS issues. As identified by Otter and Capobianco (2000), the use o f GIS has increased the capacity o f analysis o f spatial data and, thus, contributed to improved quantification techniques and manipulation possibilities, including modelling (Engelen et al. 1995, Martin 19%).
The analysis has shown that most research, has occurred at the regional level (Fig. 3.2), possibly because it is often led by institutions that have an interest in this area of research and/or have direct coastal or environmental management responsibility or remit, at a regional or national scale. In some instances, index development has been funded by research organisations and other agencies with no direct CM responsibility (e.g. Anglian Water 1989, Nature Conservancy Council & National Rivers Authority
suggests that there is a common appreciation o f their importance and potential value to the CM process. Funding agencies involved in index development are exemplified in Table 3.3.
Fig 3.2 Applied Scales of M ultidisciplinary Approaches to CVA found in the Literature Review
G lo b a l 11% L o ca l
23%
R e g io n a l 66%
N =70
The development o f CVIs for local application has also been very limited. However, this is the scale at which the greatest appreciation o f the direct effects of shoreline vulnerability can be determined. The review highlighted the need for a rapid assessment approach using semi-quantitative analytical methods. However, authors such as Young et al. (1996), Berger (1996) and Bush et al. (1999) noted the need for low cost approaches to assist developing coastal states in assessing their high-risk coastal area.
This was necessary since the research required the development o f new fine resolution indices that might be too expensive for local management structures.
At the local level the main sources o f funding originate from academic and national research organisations (Appendix 3 Table 3.1). While it may be difficult to determine the specific reasons for this, the paucity o f local scale applications demonstrates a lack o f appreciation o f the value o f such approaches at this level. It has been shown that regional approaches have been applied in preference to local applications, primarily to ensure cost effectiveness by the funding agencies while simultaneously raising awareness about CM issues.
60
Table 3 3 Examples Funding Sources for CVI Development17 (Source: Original)
S a d e lc v d a sd F iiW & ^ A g a ^ Authors
International Level
United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
US Department o f Energy
Commission of European Communities
Central European University and the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Sciences North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
U.K. National Rivers Authority and Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries Gomitz (1992, 1994 and 1997) Local Level
Italian National Research Council Great Yarmouth Borough Council UK United Nations Environment Programme
Dal Cin and Simeoni (1994) McCue and Deakin (1995) Simeoni e t a l . (1997)
3.4.1 Application to Barbados
The local scale is best suited for application within this research as it applies indices and classification schemes to small areas, with the lower limit being a functionally manageable size, permitting the equivalent of local and site-specific interpretation to be performed with some degree of accuracy. As Barbados is small independent island, the local scale has to be applied at a national level to capture any noticeable variations within the CZ. Additionally, based on the developed literature scale ranges, the island fits in the “local scale” designation. The local scale provides sufficient adaptable yet applicable detail for SIDS whereby a broad cross-sectoral representation can be made, which through systematic application can result in the implementation of planning policies to avert coastal geohazard effects.