The document summarizes a study on integrating green infrastructure in coastal cities and beaches in Andalusia, Spain. It finds that Andalusia's coastal areas are heavily urbanized and natural ecosystems degraded. A SWOT analysis identified strengths like protected areas but also weaknesses such as coastal erosion and lack of beach policy. The study recommends using strengths like willingness for green spaces to address weaknesses and integrate green infrastructure to improve environmental quality, health, and resilience against threats like flooding and heat waves.

1. COST is supported by
The EU Framework Programme
Horizon 2020
This presentation is based upon work from COST Action RESTORE CA16114, supported by COST (European
Cooperation in Science and Technology).
Goda Lukoševičiūtė
Green Infrastructure in Sustainable
Urban Beach Management
Bolzano, 15/03/2019
University of Seville, Seville, Spain
godalukoseviciute@gmail.com

2. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
WG2
Increasing coastal
urbanization and
tourism
Threats for
ecosystems, cities
and its resilience
Focusing on the
guidelines and
tools of designing
of new coastal
urban
environments
From reducing the
impact on the
environment to
contributing to the
restoration of the
ecological status

3. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
To conduct a literature
review on Andalusia
urban coastal situation
and its management
To collect data of
importance and
performance factors of
coastal and its’
beaches
SWOT analysis of
current constraints
and future
opportunities of green
infrastructure in urban
planning and beach
management
To make a collected
data comparison with
similar study did in
Portugal
Objectives

4. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Study area

5. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
 SWOT analysis has been praised for its simplicity and
practicality;
 Assess internal strengths, weaknesses, externalities and threats
used in the preliminary strategic decision-making phase
(Johnson et al., 1989);
 SWOT method is used as a decision support system;
 Factors evaluated by SWOT will help
organizations/municipalities to make decisions for urban and
beach management action planning in terms of sustainable
coastal development (Tsenkova, 2002; Schmoldt et al., 2001);
SWOT as a study method

6. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Strengths
Diversity of attractive landscapes
‘Doñana National Park’, ‘Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park’, ‘Odiel
Marshes’ and ‘Isla Cristina marshes’
Adjusted Spain’s Coast Law (22/1988)
Urban society willingness to have more ecosystem diversity
Presence of Littoral Plan
Presence of Tourism (12/1999) and Urban Planning
(7/2002) Laws with anticipation of green areas
establishment
Numerous NGO’s in Andalusia working for nature
conservation
Weaknesses
Davastated natural coastal ecosystems
Large areas of coastline used by residential or touristic
infrastructure
DPMT of Punta Umbria is heavily pressured by residential
houses and touristic infrastructure
Confrontation of two fundamentally opposing concepts of
property rights
Political disagreements
An absence of specific beach policy in Spain
Installed sea walls and groins as well as ports

7. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Fig. 1. Coastal urbanization in the most touristic cities of Andalusia (west Mediterranean side): a – Malaga,
b – Fuengirola, c - Marbella

8. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Fig. 2. Urbanized Punta Umbria area of Maritime-Terrsetrial Public Domain

9. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Fig. 3. Devastated natural ecosystems in urban Malagueta beach, Malaga

10. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Fig. 4. Erodated urban beach due to installed groines in Marbella

11. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Opportunities
Coastal dune vegetation may help to stabilize
dunes
Plantation of coastal forests may regulate air
quality and provide aesthetic value
GI may help to mitigate heat waves and UHI effect
GI may have a considerable potential for improving
health of urban residents and tourists
GI provide water regulation services
GI may improve aesthetic value and human well-
being
GI provide economic value by provided services
Threats
Mediterranean coast vulnerability
Flood risk
Dune erosion
Increasingly coastal urbanization
Coastal erosion
Heat waves, droughts, UHI effect
Reduced beach carying capacity
Overcrowding phenomenon

12. Vegetated dunes act as a sediment
stabilization and soil retention in
vegetation root structure, thus
controlling coastal erosion and
protecting recreational beaches,
tourist-related business, ocean front
properties and wildlife habitat
(Barbier et al., 2011).
Fig. 5. Presence of dunes in El Puerto de Santa Maria (above)
and Isla Cristina (below) urban beaches
Coastal dunes erosion mitigation

13. Coastal dunes and coastal forests are
spatially and functionally linked and it is
recommended to manage them
simultaneously (Bjerregaard and Grolin,
1998; McFadden, 2007).
In urban areas and beaches forests play an
important role due to significant ecosystem
services provided, such as carbon
sequestration (Jo, 2002) and though
mitigating global warming, regulating air
quality by removing air pollutants, such as
sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone,
carbon monoxide and reducing noise (Bolund
and Hunhammar, 1999).
Fig. 6. Presence of coastal forest in El Puerto de Santa Maria
urban beache
Environmental quality improvement

14. Buildings microclimate and local city
climate regulation
There is a significant and multidimensional
urban forest influence on local microclimate,
which includes modification of solar
radiation, wind speed, air temperature,
relative humidity, re-radiation (Grimmond et
al., 1994; Miller, 1997).
A combination of urban forests and green
roofs shows the higher cooling potential in
hot season in Mediterranean–continental
climates because vegetation and growing
plant media intercept and dissipate solar
radiation (Oberndorfer et al., 2007; Alcazar et
al., 2016).
Fig. 7. Urban forest in Fuengirola

15. Water regulation
Green roofs provide storm-water and
water run-off management service from
building surfaces during rainfall events by
delaying runoff until after peak rainfall
and returning precipitation to the
atmosphere through evapotranspiration
(Oberndorfer et al., 2007; Akbari et al.,
2015).
Fig. 8. Green roof (Source:
https://www.ecovidahomes.com/blog/tag/eco-home-

16.  Aesthetic, cultural and recreational values
A study in Barcelona has shown that cultural services provided by urban gardens are
the most important for local residents and tourists (Cams-Calvet et al., 2016).
 Health benefits
 Economic benefits
Previous study in Catalan coast (Spain) of economic evaluation of green ingrastructure
services of Catalan coastal zone (Brenner et al., 2010) has shown that annual flow of
non-market value of temperate forests was 1,328,021,174 USD/yr, as well as grassland
8,502,682 USD/yr and urban green spaces (large urban parks and other green areas)
11,292,851 USD/yr.

17. Proper management
 Noise and congestion (Tyrvainen, 2001);
 Increased anxiety caused by fear of crime (Bixler
and Floyd, 1997);
 Lyme disease (Patz and Norris, 2004) and West
Nile Virus (Zielinski-Gutierrez and Hayden, 2006);
 Tall trees near properties cause too much shading
and maintenance problems;
Fig. 9. An example of tall trees management issues in residential
house area in Marbella

18. COST is supported by
The EU Framework
Programme
Horizon 2020
Portugal (Algarve) Spain (Andalusia)
Fig. 10. Urban beach in Portimao, Portugal Fig. 11. Urban beach in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain
Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar Strait
“Sea, Sun and Sand” (3S) tourism. Algarve region represents
22% of total international tourists (2017)
“Sea, Sun and Sand” (3S) tourism. Andalusia region
represents 14% of total international tourists number (2018)
44% of Algarve coast are beaches. However, the coast is
degrading due to anthropogenic factors
26% of Andalusia coast are beaches. The coast is degrading,
particularly dunes (1/3 of coastal dunes)
Atlantic coast is vulnerable due to intensive urbanization
(Portimao, Albufeira, Faro) and experiences erosion of more
than 1m/year as well as floods threaten coastline
Due to uncontrolled urbanization Andalusia is most effected
and vulnerable regions with erosion along 41% of its coastline
and suffers from floods
Natural areas in Algarve – Ria Farmosa natural park
Numerous important natural areas: Doñana National Park ,
Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park, the Odiel Marshes, The Cristina
Island marshesPraia de Faro is officially excluded from the public domain
Punta Umbria exclusion from public domain (Law 22/1988)The existence of several institutions with responsibilities and
a complex of bureaucratic process Political disagreements, absence of beach policy, Coast Law
(22/1988) adjustments and legislative loopholes in coastal
managementA general lack of control over land occupation
Confrontation of two fundamentally opposing concepts of
property rights
Lack of green spaces with high
risk of heat island effect
Beach overcrowding
UHI effect Beach overcrowding
The recent dilemma of "black gold" has caused great debate
The management of occupation and use of the public domain
belongs to Autonomous Community of Andalusia, while urban
and coastal land use planning and management belongs to City
Council
Urban beach management and urban planning belongs to
municipalities
Conducted surveys shows urban society willingness to have
more ecosystem diversity
The results of the surveys show that it is important for beach
visitors to observe wild life, vegetation health, biodiversity
and sand dune restoration

19. Fig. 12. Praia de Faro during the flood event (2018.
02)(Portugal)
Coastal erosion

20. Fig. 13. Urban beach in Quarteira (Portugal) Fig. 14. Urban beach in Albufeira (Portugal)
Urbanization

21.  It is urgent and beneficial to integrate green infrastructure in Andalusia
coastal cities and urban beaches due to ecological, economical and social
services provided.
 Absence of specific beach policy, Coast Law (22/1988) adjustments,
legislative loopholes in coastal management and political interest conflict
together with already heavily urbanized coastal area and human made
constructions are the main weaknesses and barriers for green infrastructure
integration of case study Andalusia cities.
Conclusions (1/3)

22.  It is recommended to use strengths and opportunities of case studies to
minimize weaknesses and mitigate threats and compensate environmental
impacts by providing green infrastructure for the improvement and
management of case study urban areas and beaches of Andalusia region in
order to help managers in decision-makers.
 Cities and its local policies are critical for native biodiversity conservation mainly
through planning, conservation, and management of urban green spaces and
green infrastructure integration into spatial planning may propose ecological
resilience and social economic resilience of Andalusia west coast.
Conclusions (2/3)

23.  Andalusia needs to focus more attention on climate change threats and present
weaknesses, identified in this study and improve dialogue with stakeholders,
particularly scientists and municipal represents of Barcelona, Madrid or
Valencia cities in order to exchange information of successful green
infrastructure planning its milestones and implementing measures.
 To integrate green infrastructure in Andalusia coastal cities and beaches,
ecologists, managers, developers, students, and citizens – should be
encouraged to join in collaborative networks to share data, engage in
interdisciplinary research, and discuss urban green spaces management, design,
and planning.
 System approach framework (SAF) is strongly recommended for future
researches, which provide several tools and methods to management and
importantly with stakeholder participation throughout the process.
Conclusions (3/3)

24. COST is supported by
The EU Framework Programme
Horizon 2020
This presentation is based upon work from COST Action RESTORE CA16114, supported by COST (European
Cooperation in Science and Technology).
Goda Lukoševičiūtė
どうもありがとう
Thank you for your attention!
Bolzano, 15/03/2019
godalukoseviciute@gmail.com