Browsing by Author "Dimabayao, Julius John Togores"
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- Risk assessment for beach users in the rocky coasts of the AlgarvePublication . Dimabayao, Julius John Togores; Ferreira, Óscar; Loureiro, CarlosBeach tourism is a major global industry responsible for the extensive use and occupation of beaches. On the rocky coasts of the Algarve region in southern Portugal, the influx of visitors to beaches adjacent to coastal cliffs creates a risk, as beachgoers can be exposed to mass movements from these cliffs. While the general understanding of hazards due to mass movements in coastal cliffs has been extensively studied and hazard mitigations have been implemented, these measures do not account for the exposure potential of beach users. Consequently, they do not quantify the risk level for those staying on cliff-bound beaches. This study proposes a methodology to define a coastal index and quantify the risk over time and space for beach users, based on the integration of hazard and exposure. The methodology is applied to selected cliff-bound beaches in the central Algarve, with the resulting index values visualized geospatially. The results suggest how the hazard, exposure, and coastal index values vary temporally and spatially. The hazard index is shown to vary seasonally across different hazard zones. Meanwhile, the exposure index values differ based on two methods that explore (1) temporal variation, and (2) temporal and spatial variation of beach occupancy. Both methods influence the coastal index: the first highlights seasonal changes in the risk levels, while the second provides detailed spatial risk patterns, identifying beach locations where risk levels are higher. These risk hotspots are influenced by seasonality and the proximity of the cliffs to beach concessions, where people often congregate. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the coastal index in quantifying risk and highlights its adaptability to any cliff-bound beach, provided the necessary datasets can be obtained. The results can assist coastal managers in planning appropriate adaptation measures for risk reduction by minimizing people’s exposure.