Coastal vulnerability in the Mediterranean sector between Fnideq and M’diq (North of Morocco)

Abstract

This study assessed coastal vulnerability to erosion processes along a 24- km-long littoral with different levels of human occupation. An aerial photogram- metric flight and a Quickbird satellite image were used for mapping land uses and reconstructing coastal evolution from 1986 to 2003. Maximum erosion (- 2.48 myr−1) was recorded south of Marina Kabila port and maximum accretion (+2.25 myr−1) south of Marina Smir port. Erosion/accretion rates have been divided into five categories and land uses have been mapped and divided into three categories. Coastal vulnerability has been assessed by combining coastal trend with land-use categories: 10% of the littoral recorded “very high” vulner- ability, 29% recorded “high” vulnerability, and 61% of the investigated littoral presented “null” and “low” vulnerability. The “Imminent Collapse Zone”, i.e. the littoral zone threatened by imminent erosion, presented mean values of 10.34 m, with maximum and minimum values of 15.3 and 7.6 m, respectively. Several human structures and activities are located within the imminent collapse zone and consequently will be threatened by severe erosion in near future.