The DPSIR framework applied to coastal lagoons

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The DPSIR framework applied to coastal lagoons

• Alice Newton
• LOICZ
• IMAR- University of Algarve

International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
Regional Workshop - Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) Sustainable Water and Land Management in
Semi-Arid Regions Cairo, Egypt , 20-21 November
2008
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Contents

• Global change and the coastal zone
• Vulnerability of coastal lagoons to global change
• The DPSIR framework
• Application of the DPSIR framework example of
  eutrophication in coastal lagoons
• DPSIR and global change

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Global change and the coastal zone

• Coastal zones affected by sea level changes
• Changes in depth and temperature affect coastal
  ecosystems
• Increase vulnerability to erosion, storm surges
• Demographics population increase in coastal zone

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Urbanization of coastal zone
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Changing demographics
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Some definitionsof lagoon

• Lagoons are
• shallow aquatic environments located in the
  transitional zone between terrestrial and marine
  ecosystems, which span from freshwater to
  hypersaline conditions depending on the water
  balance
• (Kjerfve, 1994).

lagoon
la-goon n. French thug
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Coastal lagoons

• Coastal lagoons are an important feature of
  coasts in the MENA regions
• Lagoons in the region have been inhabited for
  millennia e.g. Lac de Tunis
• Lagoons provide important ecosystem goods such as
  salt and shellfish, as well as ecosystem
  services, such as providing nurseries for
  juvenile fish

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Salt extraction
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Artesanal culture system of clams
Photo Ana Manjua
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Vulnerability of coastal lagoons to global change

• Barrier islands vulnerable to erosion and storm
  breaching and overwash
• Regions of restricted exchange vulnerable to
  pollution in catchment
• Land use changes such as land reclamation and
  draining of wetlands
• Rich ecosytems frequently overexploited

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Coastal lagoons are vulnerable systems
Global typology (polar regions cropped)
High population density (gt60/km2) High cropland
use (gt10)
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Venice lagoon is the best known case study of sea
level rise
Flooding of Piazza San Marco
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The DPSIR framework

• Drivers
• Pressures
• State
• Impacts
• Responses

OECD (1993). OECD core set of indicators for
environmental performance reviews. OECD
Environment Monographs No. 83. OECD. Paris.
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• Drivers socio-economic, e.g. tourist development
  
• Pressures e.g. increase nutrient runoff
• State quantifiable metrics and indicators, e.g.
  Dissolved Oxygen, chlorophyll a concentration
• Impacts
• environmental e.g. increase turbidity,
• ecological, e.g. loss of biodiversity,
• economic e.g. lower fish catches,
• social e.g. loss of fishing jobs
• health e.g. shellfish poisoning
• Responses of society, e.g. new management
  criteria, new infrastructure, new policy

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Application of the DPSIR framework

• Example of eutrophication in coastal lagoons

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Socio-Economic Drivers

• Biomass production
• Biomass extraction
• Water and mineral extraction
• Industry
• Transport
• Changing land use
• Changing lifestyles

Aliaume, C., Do Chi, T, Viaroli, P., and
Zaldivar, J.M.,2007. Coastal lagoons of Southern
Europe Recent changes and future scenarios.
Transitional Waters Monographs 1 1-12.
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DRIVER change to Intensive Agriculture
Photo Bruno Fragoso
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DRIVER Agriculture and golf
Photo Igor Khmelinskii
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DRIVER Industry
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Port and shipping activities
Photo Bruno Fragoso
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Socio-Economic Drivers

• Changing land use
• Urban development
• Draining wetlands

Aliaume, C., Do Chi, T, Viaroli, P., and
Zaldivar, J.M.,2007. Coastal lagoons of Southern
Europe Recent changes and future scenarios.
Transitional Waters Monographs 1 1-12.
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Urbanization of the coastal zone
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Wetland reclamation wetland becomes UWWT- Urban
waste water treatment plant and airport
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Land clearing and loss of riparian vegetation
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Morphology
Inlet consolidationLongshore sediment dynamics
and supply are disturbed
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Artificial inletsto improve water exchange
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Dams or dykes retaining freshwater change
the hydrology and the salt/freshwater balance.
They may also affect the flushing of the lagoon
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Socio-Economic Drivers

• Lifestyles
• Fossil fuels
• Tourism
• Diet

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Tourism
Venice has 13-15 million tourists visitors every
year.
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Changes in wealth and diet
L.Mee
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Impacts

• environmental e.g. increase turbidity,
• ecological, e.g. loss of biodiversity,
• economic e.g. lower fish catches,
• social e.g. loss of fishing jobs
• health e.g. shellfish poisoning

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Eutrophication induced Hypoxia is now a Global
Problem R.J. Diaz, VIMS, 2007
R.J. Diaz, VIMS, 2007
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Fish killRomania, July 2001
ELME project
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Macroalgal blooms
Photo S. Mudge
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Seagrass and epiphytic algae
Photo Bruna Fragoso
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Eutrophication impacts temperate seagrass
ecosystems
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Eutrophication impacts tropical seagrass
ecosystems
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Responses to Eutrophication

• Sewage treatment (with biological nutrient
  removal). Smart septic tanks
• Restoring wetlands and riperian vegetation
• Reduction of nonpoint sources of N P
• Efficient and intelligent use of fertilizer inc.
  timed application sub soil delivery
• Treatment of animal wastes and utilization of
  manure as fertilizer
• Decrease animal protein diet demand
• Controls on vehicles and industrial atmospheric
  outputs
• Nutrient trading?although CO2 trading has NOT
  been a great success
  home.cc.umanitoba.ca/vsmil

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Global change and coastal lagoons

• Changes in
• ecosystem function and biodiversity
• biogeochemical cycles
• sea level and morphological modifications
• sediment supply and erosion
• demographics population, urbanization and tourism
• uses of lagoons salt and fisheries, aquaculture
  and tourism
• economy and ecosystem services

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Coastal lagoons are fragile due to direct water
draining form highly inhabited areas, their
shallowness and low water volume to surface
ratio. As a consequence, there is a high
probability that among marine ecosystems coastal
lagoons will be the first to react to
consequences of changes in climatic trends
(Esenreich, 2005).
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Bibliography

• Aliaume et al 2007
• Borja et al 2006
• Bricker et al 2003
• Cloern, J.E. 2001
• IMPRESS 2002
• Jørgensen and Richardson 1996
• Kjerfve, 1994
• OECD 1993
• OSPAR 1992
• Nixon 1995
• Richardson, 1989
• Sommer 1998
• Vollenweider 1992
• Zaldivar et al 2008

Eutrophication in transitional waters, an
overview
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LOICZ workshop Coastal lagoons Feb 2009

• in Rabat, especially to focus on the MENA region

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Acknowledgements

• Thank you
• and
• questions?
• anewton_at_ualg.pt

ies jrc eu
Academy of Scientific Research and Technology