This document summarizes issues related to managing the urban beach in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. It identifies problems such as litter accumulation and lack of adequate waste facilities. It proposes solutions like improving regular cleaning services, installing lids on bins to prevent litter from blowing away, and adding selective waste collection. It also discusses stormwater runoff issues and proposes creating stormwater basins planted with native species. The document examines restoring and stabilizing dunes through planting beach grass. Overall, the document analyzes environmental problems facing the beach and suggests ecological solutions to enhance the natural system while improving services for visitors.

1. FIGUEIRA DA FOZ
ECOLOGICAL
URBAN BEACH MANAGEMENT
Cyril SIMEONE
Leonardo Da Vinci Program
ECOGESTUS Lda.
www.ecogestus.com
May 2010

2. FIGUEIRA DA FOZ
URBAN BEACH
1. ISSUES and PROBLEMS
1.1 Litter/Waste and Cleaning the Beach
1.2 Waste Facilities
1.3 Service Area: “Parque das Gaivotas”
1.4 Stormwater and Wastewater Issues
1.5 Vala de Buarcos – Case Study
2. ECOSYSTEM
2.1 Accumulation and stabilization of sand
3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

3. 1.Waste and Litter
Keep the Beach Clean
“ Mantenha a Praia Limpa ! “

4. 1.1 WASTE AND LITTER
Electric Cable
Glass Bottle
Plastic
Plastic Bags
Fishering Net
April - May 2010

5. Symptoms:
•Landscape Degradation by litter accumulation – Winter/Summer
•Small items are difficult to remove but cause ecological damages
to sealife and birds
Causes:
• Absence of a regular, efficient cleaning service – Off season
• Cleaning methods not adequate to some parts of the beach
Results:
• Sanitary and negative impact (“bad image”)
• Litter accumulates in finer particles, mixing with biodegradable
waste (shells, algae,..etc.)
DESCRIPTION
1.1 WASTE AND LITTER

6. LITTER

7. WASTE / LITTER
WATERCOURSE, BUARCOS, April 2010

8. WASTE / LITTER
WATERCOURSE, BUARCOS, April 2010

9. Environmental Awareness
• Encouraging visitors to ACT
“Keeping the beach clean is everybody's duty”
•Information panels:
•Ecological beneficial role of “biodegradable waste –algae”
•Harmful role of artificial waste – plastics, cans, …other
•Cleaning services marketing
• Collected waste – how much, in weight , in bottles , in recycling
potential !...etc.
Objective 4

10. Não suje a Praia !
Sabia que :
10
• Em cada hora que passa 675 toneladas de lixo são despejadas nos
Oceanos, metade são plásticos (fonte: OCEANA).
•Existem 18.000 pequenas peças de plástico em cada quilómetro quadrado
de mar (estudo UNEP)

11. Urban Beach Cleaning
Municipal Service
Stakeholders:
Technical division of the
municipality
Frequency:
Every two weeks
(except on strong sea period
– “marés vivas” )
Human means:
One man-day per kilometer.
Technical means:
Bags and 1 vehicle
(regrouping)
Effectiveness:
•Waste selectivity,
Artificial and natural waste.
Sort during collection. – 2 bags
system
•Beach cleanliness all the year
•Full beach areas are cleaned
Benefice:
•Job opportunity,
•Approval of tourists and residents,
•Lower fuel consumption,
Low Footprint
•Respect of the ecosystem
Objectives 1,2 and 3

12. Equipement
Urban Beach Cleaning
Municipal Service
Litter Plier
Gloves
Plastic Bags
Collection
Weight Measure
Operating Cost
About 3km of beach  3 employees by cleaning operation
Working time: 7h /day
Salary: 8 € /h  168 € (56*3) each cleaning operation
Total Cost: 3.137 €/year
Regrouping + Transport

13. SELECTIVE vs. UNSELECTIVE
•Litter waste selectively removed.
•All biologic materials remain*
Food chain, guarantee natural dune
formation and coastal elevation.
* Accepted, as long as it does not present a
nuisance (algae in the summer).
•Sort waste whenever is possible.
•Pass on all beach areas
Coastal barometer:
•Visual aspect study on several areas selected
•Internal Audit
•Public inquiry: tourists + residentsUnselective Cleaning:
 Shells, plastics,
seaweed, wood...
Mechanical Cleaning

14. 2.2
Waste facilities
Collection Points
WasteBins “Papeleiras”
•Collection frequency – visible
accumulation of waste
•Open containers – Risk of plastics, bags
and paper collected fly over and disperse
Results in:
Negative environmental and esthetic
impact- litter goes back
Discouragement :guests who did their
duty and have collected their waste
Objective : Ensure the right equipment
for the right place. Frequency must be
established according to needs.
April 2010

15. Waste Collection and Facilities (1)
Optimized Outdoor Bin:
• Has to have a Lid or system to avoid “flying litter”,
• Capacity adapted to peak needs (Summer)
• Seasonal equipment (removed in the Winter)

16. Waste Collection and Facilities (2)
•Selective collection with Pay Back Machines
(in the Summer) improving collection and creating new
incentives for recycling

17. 2 . Parque das Gaivotas
Stormwater, Facilities, Green Spaces
and Cleaning

18. WASTE
PARQUE DE GAIVOTAS, April 2010

19. 1.3
Service Area
“Parque das Gaivotas”
Present Situation:
•Wastewater runs off into the environment
•Loss of attractiveness for “camping car”
“customers” and visitors
•No Facility to collect wastewater
•No wastewater treatment
Absence of a real Service Area
Objective:
• Infra-structure upgrade
• Establish a basic service area to
accommodate visitors both caravans,
events and “parking pedestrians”
DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
“Parque das Gaivotas”

20. Service Area
ACTIONS
• Construction of Wastewater drainage system :
black and gray water separated at source.
•Potable water points
•Waste containers – more units and scattered
Treatment :
1.Connection to the sewer or
2.Micro Water Wastewaster Tretament
Objective 1

21. Basic Facilities
(general plan)

22. Waste Water Drainage
Preview
Concrete area
Central grid
Grey water grid
Black water
Potable water
Information panel

23. Micro Treatment System
•Micro wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)
•Oxidation of Sludge  aerobic bacteria
•Programmed operation,
•No Odor,
Different volumes.
Objective 1
Cost:
From 2500€ to 11000€

24. 1.4
Stromwaste and Waterwaste
DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
Symptoms:
Odor, litters, development of undesirable
vegetation...
Causes:
No treatment of Stormwater (with litter and
waste)
 SANITARY, VISUAL, ECOLOGICAL AND
ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Objective 1: Creation of storm basins.
Objective 2: Information and awareness
Stormwater Runoff from Streets
Sewage
Network
Stormwater
Polluants,
Litters,
Wastewater.
URBAN BEACH

25. Dry Basins
Native plants  Biodiversity protect
 Operational all the year.
 Control of stormwater polluted.
 Control of the fertilizer impact.
Cost :
about 2,7€ - 4€ for each
cubic meter
Objective 2

26. Buarcos

27. Watercourse “Buarcos”
Storm Basin
Native plants for self-purification
Benefice:
•Preserve biodiversity
•Water purification
•Decrease odors
Cost :
circa. 11€-40€/m2
300m2  3300€-12000€ (requires further studies)
Objective 2

29. ECOSYSTEM
Accumulation and stabilization of
Sand

30. Accumulation and
stabilization of sand
Diagnosis:
•Absence of dunes stabilization dunes, (1)
•Destruction of vegetation, (2)
Stopping of the accretion process by lapping the
beach.
•Removal of sand (3)
Some “earth area” followed by the rocky outcrop
of rocks is noticeable (see picture 3).
Large sandstorm during windy days
Sanding of facilities
Causes:
Using machines to rake and return the sand (4)
(1)
(2) (3) (4)

31. Accumulation and
stabilization of sand
Objective 1: Restoration and stabilization of the beach and
dune system in critical and fragile area
Objective 2: Environmental education for visitors
OBJECTIVES

32. Restoration of beach and dune system
• Coastal reclamation projects  To “fill” the Beach-
projects with eventually turning the landscape to a
wildly part
•Construction of: Berm (“berma”), dune, beach
nourishment, dune stabilization or structural
stabilization.
Objective 1,2 and 3

33. Dune restoration process
• Pict1: Building dune with quarry
sand,
• Pict2: Covering quarry sand with
natural dune sand,
• Pict3: Planting the artificial dune
with beachgrass
• Pict4: Protection of the area
Pict1
Pict2
Pict3 Pict4
Objective 1,2 and 3

34. Grass Dune disposal

35. Dune grass planting
Effectiveness:
•Enhancement to natural dune recovery.
•Reservoir of sand held in planted foredunes,
 Buffer to resist storm erosion.
 Buffer to protect facilities against sanding
Benefice:
•Compliments natural system,
•Potentially self sustaining.
Costs:
•Low but labor intensive with on-going management,
About 240€ - 2400€/100m length for each visit.
Objective 1,2 and 3

36. BIODIVERSITY
Wild beach part, April 2010

38. Development opportunities
•Creation of no-access area
• Wild Zone
•Complete abolition of the lapping action
•Environmental education
Visitors
Schools and Students
• Improves Tourism (“natural habitat” vs. “artificial beach”)

39. Thank you for your attention