Ponta Negra Beach, Natal, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
The paper presents a case study of the erosion process at Ponta Negra Beach, important touristic destination located 15 km south of the downtown area of the city of Natal, capital of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Region of Brazil.
Unplanned urbanization was followed by an attempt in late 1990’s to improve the use of the beach front area. A 4 km long walkway was built along the beach on top of the foredunes, water supply and sewage pipes were buried into the landfill, and a seawall was built to contain the landfill.
A slow unattended erosion process was initiated, until in 2012 the seawall and the walkway were severely damaged by waves. Possible causes are discussed and the adopted remedial solutions are presented.
The paper should be viewed as a critical reflection on the role of coastal zone management in order to promote sustainable development, based on a tripod: continuous environment monitoring, engineering, and society engagement.
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