TY - JOUR
T1 - A participatory modelling approach to cognitive mapping of the socio-environmental system of sandy anthropogenic shores in the Netherlands
AU - Bakhshianlamouki, Elham
AU - Augustijn, P.W.M.
AU - Brugnach, Marcela F.
AU - Voinov, Alexey Arkady
AU - Wijnberg, Kathelijne M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Recent developments in nature-based coastal management of sandy shores have witnessed an increase in the scale of the nature-based interventions (Huisman et al., 2021; Vikolainen et al., 2017) leading to the creation of what we refer to as Sandy Anthropogenic Shores (SAS). SAS are the sandy shores that have been newly created or extensively modified by moving large amounts of dredged sand from offshore to near the coast, (re)creating features like beaches, dunes, lagoons, etc, which keep evolving after initial construction. This innovative approach harnesses natural processes such as waves, winds, and currents to distribute sand to reinforce the dunes, thus providing long-lasting coastal protection lasting for decades. In contrast, small-scale nourishment typically offers only short-term protection lasting a few years (Vermaas et al., 2019). Alongside addressing flood safety, SAS improves the landscape quality by expanding beaches, thereby creating more recreational space and supporting environmental features like lagoons, which serve both recreational activities (e.g. boating and kitesurfing) and nature development (e.g. birds nesting). While the dredging and repositioning of sand from the deep North Sea can disrupt ecosystems and benthic life (Gerdes et al., 2021), reducing replenishment frequency helps preserve flora and fauna. However, mega-nourishments do not exhibit clear advantages over other methods, as they can bury habitats and organisms, and different nourishment strategies yield comparable effects that scale with sediment volume (Herman et al., 2021). A crucial concern still arises regarding the impact of short-term managerial actions on the natural evolution of the SAS ecosystem and the long-term objective of strengthening dunes for flood safety. Managers of SAS may make short-term decisions in response to various natural processes (e.g., storm waves and tides) and social objectives (e.g., political, economic, and psychological aims).This research is part of the ReAShore Project (20000949–10), funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), which we gratefully acknowledge. In addition, we want to thank all the participants from Rijkswaterstaat, Provincial Government, Water Boards, municipalities, Dunea, PWN, Ecorys, Deltares, HKV, Staatsbosbeheer, Royal Van Oord company, professors and Entrepreneurs who kindly supported us by sharing their time and unique knowledge and experience about SAS during interviews and workshops.
Funding Information:
This research is part of the ReAShore Project (20000949–10), funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) , which we gratefully acknowledge. In addition, we want to thank all the participants from Rijkswaterstaat, Provincial Government, Water Boards, municipalities, Dunea, PWN, Ecorys, Deltares, HKV, Staatsbosbeheer, Royal Van Oord company, professors and Entrepreneurs who kindly supported us by sharing their time and unique knowledge and experience about SAS during interviews and workshops.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - Sandy Anthropogenic Shores (SAS) are coasts formed or heavily modified by moving large amounts of dredged sand from offshore towards the land. Subsequently, natural processes such as waves, wind, and currents are spreading the sand, where wind can transport sand into the foredune area and reinforce the foredune for long- term coastal safety. Besides improving safety, more expansive beaches and artificial lagoons, which may be part of a SAS design, provide new space for human activities and animal and plant habitats. The landscape of SAS is influenced by humans who manage and utilise the shore for various objectives, including flood safety, recreation, and ecological functions. Consequently, the sustainable management of multifunctional and multi-actor systems like SAS becomes challenging and requires an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to analyse the trade-offs between various socio-environmental functions. Although numerous studies of SAS have been conducted, they have had a sectoral, disciplinary approach and mainly focused on the natural aspects of SAS. In this study, we applied participatory modelling to explore the role of social systems (management activities and their interactions with natural systems) in SAS to broaden insight beyond natural systems and improve management and social acceptance of managerial decisions. We conducted several interviews and workshops with multiple stakeholders. We discussed different management aims and activities in SAS, the essential socio-environmental drivers of the managerial activities, their interactions, and the managerial indicators for analysing the various SAS functions. The elicited knowledge was structured in the form of a collective cognitive map (CCM) developed with stakeholders. We used the designed cognitive map for a qualitative assessment of the influence of some managerial decisions on trade-offs between the multiple functions of SAS. The developed CCM provides suitable ground to start the discussion with multiple stakeholders on the design of SAS as a new coastal management approach.
AB - Sandy Anthropogenic Shores (SAS) are coasts formed or heavily modified by moving large amounts of dredged sand from offshore towards the land. Subsequently, natural processes such as waves, wind, and currents are spreading the sand, where wind can transport sand into the foredune area and reinforce the foredune for long- term coastal safety. Besides improving safety, more expansive beaches and artificial lagoons, which may be part of a SAS design, provide new space for human activities and animal and plant habitats. The landscape of SAS is influenced by humans who manage and utilise the shore for various objectives, including flood safety, recreation, and ecological functions. Consequently, the sustainable management of multifunctional and multi-actor systems like SAS becomes challenging and requires an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to analyse the trade-offs between various socio-environmental functions. Although numerous studies of SAS have been conducted, they have had a sectoral, disciplinary approach and mainly focused on the natural aspects of SAS. In this study, we applied participatory modelling to explore the role of social systems (management activities and their interactions with natural systems) in SAS to broaden insight beyond natural systems and improve management and social acceptance of managerial decisions. We conducted several interviews and workshops with multiple stakeholders. We discussed different management aims and activities in SAS, the essential socio-environmental drivers of the managerial activities, their interactions, and the managerial indicators for analysing the various SAS functions. The elicited knowledge was structured in the form of a collective cognitive map (CCM) developed with stakeholders. We used the designed cognitive map for a qualitative assessment of the influence of some managerial decisions on trade-offs between the multiple functions of SAS. The developed CCM provides suitable ground to start the discussion with multiple stakeholders on the design of SAS as a new coastal management approach.
KW - UT-Hybrid-D
U2 - 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106739
DO - 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106739
M3 - Article
SN - 0964-5691
VL - 243
JO - Ocean & coastal management
JF - Ocean & coastal management
M1 - 106739
ER -
