Antonio Contreras De Villar

University of Cadiz, Spain

Analysis of the flooding of coastal areas caused by climate change. Practical case on beaches in the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga

---

Biography

Antonio Contreras de Villar has a Doctor in Engineering and Architecture, Master in Computational Modeling in Engineering and Technical Engineer of Public Works. Professor at the University of Cádiz in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Civil Engineering, area of ??Hydraulic Engineering. Member of the Research Group RNM-912 “Coastal Engineering”.

Abstract

The rise in sea level is one of the consequences of climate change.  This rise in sea level brings with it coastal flooding and consequent erosion, thus posing a threat to coastal systems.  Numerous publications have been written addressing the calculation at different scales (global, regional, and local) of sea level rise in natural or anthropogenic environments.  The current trend of sea level rise due to climate change (IPCC, 2022; Jigena et al., 2021) shows extensive and potentially catastrophic risks for ecosystems, human populations, built infrastructures, and the economies of coastal areas (Aguilera-Vidal et al., 2022). Exploring the current and future risks of coastal hazards and comparing the cost-effectiveness of nature-based solutions versus artificial or technology-based ones, in order to reduce risks, avoid damages, and ultimately assist in adaptation decision-making, is the objective of this study. Based on data from various specialized and validated reports on climate change (IPCC, 2022), the rise in sea level and wave height have been evaluated for different medium- and long-term scenarios.  Cross-sectional profiles of different beaches have been taken to subsequently perform simulations with all the variables to determine the coastal flooding area. The chosen study areas have been the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga, representative of the other Andalusian provinces and with different characteristics (tide, coastal occupation).  From these provinces, several beaches have been selected.  The study allows for the development of a comprehensive methodology that enables the easy extrapolation of the models to the rest of the Andalusian coastline.  Work carried out thanks to the R&D&I call funded by the European Union Next Generation EU.