A framework to quantitatively assess the sustainability of coastal systems is presented. The framework makes use of the concept of vulnerability (here illustrated by geomorphological vulnerability) and has been formalised into a long-term coastal vulnerability assessment framework, BEACH-CVA, composed by two modules: a long-term coastal evolution model and a fuzzy-logic vulnerability assessment module. It has been specifically developed for the Ebro delta, a low-lying Mediterranean coast subjected to a high intensity coastal dynamics, but is general enough to be applied to similar coastal environments. The developed tool has been applied to two different coastal stretches (ⅰ) a coastal wetland located in a high erosive area and (ⅱ) a barrier coast experiencing landward rollover with man-induced alterations of its natural dynamics. The framework has proven successful at quantitatively assessing the coastal vulnerability, provided an accurate enough prediction of the long-term coastal evolution and a proper parameterisation of its implications on coastal resources and/or uses.
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