| dc.description.abstract | Tourism is one of the fastest growing activities in Colombia; the coast represents the favourite
destination for both national and foreign visitors. However, coastal erosion is an actual
problem, with high erosive rates in some areas. This chapter shows a general overview
of the coastal erosion problem in Colombia and emphasizes the institutional framework
used in monitoring. Four study cases are included to present a wide diagnosis of relevant
erosive processes, both on Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Findings show erosive rates due
to human interventions in all coastal departments on the Caribbean Sea; highest values
were recorded in Cordoba (3.3 m/yr), Magdalena (5.3 m/yr) and La Guajira (3.2 m/yr). In
addition, monitoring of barrier islands indicated that erosive processes on the Pacific coast
are essentially due to natural phenomena, i.e. tsunami and El Niño events. In conclusion,
long-term coastal erosion monitoring is urgently required in order to make adequate decisions
and assess their effectiveness, with special concern to the correct location of coastal
infrastructure and the management of coastal risks. | en_US |