Scenari di vulnerabilità e rischio da mareggiata nell’area costiera nord marchigiana

Sea storm vulnerability in the coastal area of northern Marche between the mouths of Foglia and Metauro rivers has been analysed. The method used had already been applied by other authors in some areas of the northern Adriatic region and utilizes a series of different variables, in particular: present and recent morphodynamic parameters of beach and shoreface, bathymetric characteristics and pressure of use at beaches. Data were processed using GIS software. Results point to high potential vulnerability, often mitigated by coastal protection systems that are highly developed in the area. Moreover, considering the amount of exposure of different coastal sectors, it was possible to obtain risk scenarios that, in some cases, result to be high. This emphasizes the importance of extending this type of investigation to larger areas in order to get indications for long-term coastal area management, also in the context of relative sea level rise.