EXPLORING THE VIABILITY OF ACCOMMODATION SPACE-BASED COASTAL ADAPTATION IN DEVELOPED MEDITERRANEAN COASTS

At present, a substantial part of the Mediterranean sedimentary coastline is retreating (e.g. Luijendijk et al. 2018), a trend that could be intensified by climate change, thereby increasing the risk of beach disappearance (e.g. Vousdoukas et al. 2020). Harnessing the natural resilience of coastal ecosystems to adapt to external pressures is gaining prominence as a favored approach for enhancing climate resilience and thus support EU policy priorities. This work presents a framework for assessing the necessary accommodation space to facilitate the natural rebuilding of beaches under an external forcing. It integrates predictions of the space requirement to cope with coastal hazards under both current and future climate change scenarios, within relevant time horizons for planning purposes. The ultimate practical goal is to categorize the territory based on space requirements, land characteristics, and the feasibility of generating the necessary space. This classification will also enable the identification of areas suitable for the implementation of adaptation measures that demand additional space, such as dunes, wetlands or managed retreat, differentiating between those where such measures can be easily applied and areas where they are only viable for short-term horizons.