Climate Change and Coastal Challenges in Cascais
Paper
“Since the problem is global but the adaptation is local, it is recommended that all involved share their experiences and successes. ”
As for adaptation it is meant to provide solutions for adaptive capacity to climate change impacts. Like mention previously, the impacts diverge regarding the vulnerabilities, geographical characteristics and investment capacity. So, there is a key difference between mitigation and adaptation as mitigation should be designed on a global scale and adaptation should be considered regional or local. To further this idea, it is imperative to consider once again, that climatic impacts will profoundly diverge on the resilience capacity. Adaptation for climate change in Cascais’ coast has to me well planned and accessed as it can lead to the loss of a valuable biological, geological, tourist and economic resource. It is imperative to start with the notion that the situation can be reversed and it can even lead to a development opportunity. The PECAC and further studies provide stakeholders and decision makers with a set of actions that can be implemented to respond to the wideness of impacts. These are: piers, breakwaters, palisades and walk paths, adjacent
infrastructures, construction constraint near the shore and permanent occupation near the beaches, monitor sanding patterns and artificial deposition of sand. These actions should not be considered individually. Their implementation has to be included in an integrated, multilevel and, once again, holistic approach towards the problem as only then, climate change impacts are truly well accessed and systemically understood. With ongoing projects, we are now gathering more knowledge, opinions and expertise to further the debate and information for a permanent but adjustable solution as the situation progresses over the years. Since the problem is global but the adaptation is local, it is recommended that all involved share their experiences and successes. Providing information and knowledge to managers and decision makers will enhance the impact of adaptation actions as they will sure complement each other towards resilience.
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