Degradation of Coastlines under the Pressure of Urbanization and Tourism: Evidence on the Change of Land Systems from Europe, Asia and Africa
Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor,
Walid Hamma,
Huu Duy Nguyen,
Giovanni Randazzo,
Anselme Muzirafuti,
Mari-Isabella Stan,
Van Truong Tran,
Roxana Aştefănoaiei,
Quang-Thanh Bui,
Dragoş-Florian Vintilă,
Quang Hai Truong,
Cristina Lixăndroiu,
Diana-Doina Ţenea,
Igor Sîrodoev,
Ioan Ianoş
Affiliations
Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor
Doctoral School of Urban Planning, Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism, 010014 Bucharest, Romania
Walid Hamma
Laboratory of Archaeological Heritage and Its Enhancement, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Technology, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
Huu Duy Nguyen
Faculty of Geography, Vietnam National University, VNU University of Science, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Giovanni Randazzo
Department of Mathematical, Information Technology, Physical and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Anselme Muzirafuti
Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Moulay Ismail, BP. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Mari-Isabella Stan
Department of Administrative and Social Sciences, Faculty of Law and Administrative Sciences, Ovidius University of Constanţa, 900470 Constanţa, Romania
Van Truong Tran
Faculty of Geography, Vietnam National University, VNU University of Science, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Roxana Aştefănoaiei
Department of Marketing and Management in Tourism, National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism, 50741 Bucharest, Romania
Quang-Thanh Bui
Center of Applied Research in Remote Sensing and GIS (CARGIS), Faculty of Geography, Vietnam National University, VNU University of Science, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Dragoş-Florian Vintilă
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ovidius University of Constanţa, 900470 Constanţa, Romania
Quang Hai Truong
Institute of Vietnamese Studies & Development Sciences, Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Cristina Lixăndroiu
Department of Marketing and Management in Tourism, National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism, 50741 Bucharest, Romania
Diana-Doina Ţenea
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ovidius University of Constanţa, 900470 Constanţa, Romania
Igor Sîrodoev
Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University of Constanţa, 900470 Constanţa, Romania
Ioan Ianoş
Interdisciplinary Centre of Advanced Research on Territorial Dynamics, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
The importance of studying coastal areas is justified by their resources, ecosystem services, and key role played in socio-economic development. Coastal landscapes are subject to increasing demands and pressures, requiring in-depth analyses for finding appropriate tools or policies for a sustainable landscape management. The present study addresses this issue globally, based on case studies from three continents: Romania (Europe), Algeria (Africa), and Vietnam (Asia), focusing on the anthropogenic pressure resulting from land use/land cover change or urban sprawl, taking into account the role of socioeconomic and political factors. The methodology consisted of producing maps and computing and analyzing indicators, correlating geospatial and socio-economic data in a synergistic manner to explore the changes of landscapes, and identify the specific driving forces. The findings show that the pressure of urbanization and tourism on coastal areas increased, while the drivers and impacts vary. Urbanization is due to derogatory planning in Romania and Algeria, and different national and local goals in Vietnam. The two drivers determine local exemptions from the national regulations, made for profit. In addition to the need for developing and enforcing policies for stopping the degradation and restoring the ecosystems, the findings underline the importance of international cooperation in policy development.
