Adapto: towards a flexible management of the coastline - Golo Delta

 Golo Delta (Banda Bianca, Tumbulu Biancu, Pineto-Biguglia, San Damiano, Pineto-Poretta, Maraninca, Tanghiccia, Focce-Isola, Mucchiatana) – France

Project leader: Conservatoire du Littoral

Dates : 2017-2022

Classification

Risks

Solutions

Actors

Costs

Summary

The Adapto project seeks to demonstrate by example the value of flexible management of the coastline as a solution for adapting coastal territories to climate change. This project is being financed by the European Programme Life, and carried out by the Conservatoire du Littoral and the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières. 

In France, this project is being deployed across 10 pilot territories, including the area of the Golo Delta in Corsica. Since 1982, the Conservatoire du Littoral has been carrying out land-control activities and implementing protection measures (e.g. laying fences with wooden slats), awareness-raising and research projects. In addition to tackling issues of high and unruly beach attendance, these measures allow the rebuilding and stabilizing of dune ridges which regain their function as a natural barrier against saltwater intrusion. Adapto’s objective for this site is to draw on the knowledge and experience gained from the delta management over the past decade and to continue to reflect on the long-term evolution of the site, taking into account the impacts of climate change.

To that end, the actions carried out are as follows: (1) Land acquisition of 15 hectares; (2) Dune renaturation work and relocation of a car park; (3) Knowledge sharing with other locations and capitalizing on the approach carried out; (4) Educational work with schools, elected officials, civilians and coastguards; (5) Implementation of an ecological quality indicator; (6) Analysis of social perception by users and inhabitants; (7) Development of decision support tools (economic and multi-criteria analyses) regarding potential long term scenarios.

Actions

Dune restoration work on the sites of Arinella, Banda Bianca and Pineto has been undertaken.

Relocalisation of a parking lot. 

The Conservatoire du Littoral undertakes global actions to strengthen skills and share knowledge. These include national actions to capitalise on and put into perspective the other Adapto sites. This also entails events reporting and communication on the results of the project to practitioners, elected representatives and the general public at local and regional levels. Finally, the Conservatoire du Littoral is implementing educational actions such as: 

  • Development and deployment of an educational programme for primary and secondary school classes
  • Awareness-raising and development of tools for the department’s rangers (animator’s kit)
  • Creation of an exhibition (kakemonos format) on the past evolution and future of the Delta

The Conservatoire du Littoral is carrying out on-site research actions such as historical and prospective analysis of the evolution of the landscapes; updated analysis of the social perception of the users; as well as developing decision-making tools (economic and multi-criteria analyses) around possible long-term evolution scenarios.

It is also working on the implementation of an ecological quality indicator. This research project, carried out in partnership with the National Museum of Natural History as part of the Adapto project, aims to develop an ecological quality indicator tailored for natural coastal environments. This indicator should allow the description of the reconnection impacts on the ecological quality of natural coastal areas and the monitoring of their evolution. It is pivotal for the Conservatoire du Littoral and its managers that intend to improve the environmental quality of the coast. It also entails the provision of answers to the concerns expressed by various environmental stakeholders about the potential negative impacts of marine reconnection on the species relying on these ‘soft’ environments. 

Outcomes

Work on the renaturation of the dunes is underway, and it is too early to draw conclusions on the benefits of the project from a technical perspective.

The main current success lies in the fact that the initiative is leading local actors and elected representatives to understand these problems and to take them into account in the development of their territory. It initiates a dialogue between the actors on the solutions to be implemented and invites them to have a long-term vision of their territory.

More than half of the site is owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, which means that the Conservatoire du Littoral and the manager can provide support over a long period of time. 

Consultation with local stakeholders is essential for the smooth running of the project. 

Importance of popularising and widely disseminating the results of the monitoring carried out on the site to local stakeholders, in order to strengthen the social acceptability of management policies.

Partners

Technical partners: Conservatoire du Littoral, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Collectivité de Corse, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CPIE Bastia Golo Méditerranée, state services, municipalities and inter-municipalities, economic actors, inhabitants

Financial partners: European Union,  Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Fondation de France, Total Foundation

Resources