The thematic e-workshop “COASTAL PROTECTION MEASURES AGAINST EROSION” was held on 11th of February, 2021 under the project agreement EASME/EMFF/2018/1.2.1.5/01/SI2.806725 „Cross border maritime spatial planning in the Black Sea – Bulgaria and Romania - MARSPLAN-BS II”, co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) of the European Union. The meeting was carried out in video-conference format and hosted by „Ovidius” University of Constanța. Representatives of all project partners took part at the workshop.
As partner in the MARSPLAN-BS II project, CCMS presented a study on „Coastal Erosion and Protection Measures in Bulgaria: Current State and Lessons Learned”. Over the last few decades the major cause for erosion progress in Bulgaria has been mostly associated with expanding human impacts in terms of maritime constructions, dredging works and river corrections. Concreting the natural shoreline by use of traditional hard protective structures, as well as by port/harbor developments is commonly known as coastal armouring. Coastline armouring is a very common engineering solution against erosion and waves.
It was pointed that, in the future, to avoid further increase of coastal armouring more issues and priorities should be first addressed and more specifically such as:
• evaluating vulnerability of existing and planned coastal structures
• preferably use of soft prevention alternatives (Nature Based Solutions) instead of hard ones
• managed retreat, where it is appropriate as alternative on coastal protection
• must cost benefit analysis of suggested alternatives for coastal protection against erosion
• providing guidelines for a thorough coastal management strategy in the context of MSP
More information about the Workshop and PPT can be found on the website of the project MARSPLAN-BS II.