Can the Engineering Resilience Approach Provide Solutions to the Coastal Erosion Problem?

Coastal erosion constitutes a global and alarming problem, as 70% of the shorelines are retreating. Especially in Europe, it is estimated that 15 km2 of shorelines are retreating annually while more than 5 million people live in areas threatened by coastal erosion. In this paper, the problem of coastal erosion in a characteristic coastal area from the Region of Attica in Greece is discussed, using the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Responses (DPSIR) framework and the engineering resilience approach. To this direction the Resilience Index (RI) is going to be implemented taking into consideration: (1) the drivers and pressures which are expected to arise from climate change in the case study area, (2) the existing adaptation methods (state), (3) the challenges and risks (impact), and (4) the measures to deal with the problems that are applied in the selected region with its specific social and environmental situations (response). The main scope of the Directorate of Technical Works (Piraeus and Islands Regional Unit) of the Region of Attica is to apply science and engineering to configure an integrated approach to risk reduction through measures that also improve social, economic, and ecosystem resilience. Since many countries cope with similar coastal erosion problems, the ultimate scope of this paper is to contribute to sustainable global development and mitigation of climate change in the coastal erosion issues, highlighting how Engineering Geology practice and research should further evolve in a rapidly changing world.