FIGUEIRA DA FOZECOLOGICAL

URBAN BEACH MANAGEMENT

Cyril SIMEONELeonardo Da Vinci ProgramECOGESTUS Lda.www.ecogestus.com

May 2010

FIGUEIRA DA FOZ URBAN BEACH

1. ISSUES and PROBLEMS1.1 Litter/Waste and Cleaning the Beach1.2 Waste Facilities1.3 Service Area: “Parque das Gaivotas”1.4 Stormwater and Wastewater Issues1.5 Vala de Buarcos – Case Study2. ECOSYSTEM2.1 Accumulation and stabilization of sand 3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

1.Waste and Litter

Keep the Beach Clean

“ Mantenha a Praia Limpa ! “

1.1 WASTE AND LITTER

Electric Cable

Glass Bottle

Plastic

Plastic Bags

Fishering Net

April - May 2010

Symptoms:

•Landscape Degradation by litter accumulation – Winter/Summer

•Small items are difficult to remove but cause ecological damages to sealife and birds

Causes:

• Absence of a regular, efficient cleaning service – Off season

• Cleaning methods not adequate to some parts of the beach

Results:

• Sanitary and negative impact (“bad image”)

• Litter accumulates in finer particles, mixing with biodegradable waste (shells, algae,..etc.)

DESCRIPTION1.1 WASTE AND LITTER

LITTER

WASTE / LITTER

WATERCOURSE, BUARCOS, April 2010

WASTE / LITTER

WATERCOURSE, BUARCOS, April 2010

Environmental Awareness

• Encouraging visitors to ACT“Keeping the beach clean is everybody's duty”

• Information panels:

•Ecological beneficial role of “biodegradable waste –algae”

•Harmful role of artificial waste – plastics, cans, …other

•Cleaning services marketing

• Collected waste – how much, in weight , in bottles , in recycling

potential !...etc.

Objective 4

Não suje a Praia !Sabia que :

10

• Em cada hora que passa 675 toneladas de lixo são despejadas nos Oceanos, metade são plásticos (fonte: OCEANA).

•Existem 18.000 pequenas peças de plástico em cada quilómetro quadrado de mar (estudo UNEP)

Urban Beach Cleaning Municipal Service

Stakeholders:

Technical division of the municipality

Frequency:

Every two weeks

(except on strong sea period – “marés vivas” )

Human means:

One man-day per kilometer.

Technical means:

Bags and 1 vehicle (regrouping)

Effectiveness: •Waste selectivity,Artificial and natural waste.Sort during collection. – 2 bags system•Beach cleanliness all the year•Full beach areas are cleaned

Benefice:•Job opportunity,•Approval of tourists and residents,•Lower fuel consumption,Low Footprint•Respect of the ecosystem

Objectives 1,2 and 3

Equipement

Urban Beach Cleaning Municipal Service

Litter PlierGlovesPlastic Bags

Collection

Weight Measure

Operating CostAbout 3km of beach 3 employees by cleaning operation

Working time: 7h /daySalary: 8 € /h 168 € (56*3) each cleaning operation

Total Cost: 3.137 €/year

Regrouping + Transport

SELECTIVE vs. UNSELECTIVE

•Litter waste selectively removed.•All biologic materials remain*Food chain, guarantee natural dune formation and coastal elevation. * Accepted, as long as it does not present a nuisance (algae in the summer).•Sort waste whenever is possible.•Pass on all beach areas

Coastal barometer:•Visual aspect study on several areas selected•Internal Audit•Public inquiry: tourists + residentsUnselective Cleaning:

Shells, plastics, seaweed, wood...

Mechanical Cleaning

2.2Waste facilities

Collection PointsWasteBins “Papeleiras”

•Collection frequency – visible accumulation of waste •Open containers – Risk of plastics, bags and paper collected fly over and disperse

Results in:Negative environmental and esthetic impact- litter goes back Discouragement :guests who did their duty and have collected their waste

Objective : Ensure the right equipment for the right place. Frequency must be established according to needs.

April 2010

Waste Collection and Facilities (1)Optimized Outdoor Bin:

• Has to have a Lid or system to avoid “flying litter”,

• Capacity adapted to peak needs (Summer)

• Seasonal equipment (removed in the Winter)

Waste Collection and Facilities (2)•Selective collection with Pay Back Machines

(in the Summer) improving collection and creating new incentives for recycling

2 . Parque das Gaivotas

Stormwater, Facilities, Green Spaces and Cleaning

WASTE

PARQUE DE GAIVOTAS, April 2010

1.3Service Area“Parque das Gaivotas”

Present Situation:•Wastewater runs off into the environment

•Loss of attractiveness for “camping car” “customers” and visitors

•No Facility to collect wastewater

•No wastewater treatment

Absence of a real Service Area

Objective:

• Infra-structure upgrade

• Establish a basic service area to accommodate visitors both caravans, events and “parking pedestrians”

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

“Parque das Gaivotas”

Service Area

ACTIONS

• Construction of Wastewater drainage system : black and gray water separated at source.

•Potable water points

•Waste containers – more units and scattered

Treatment :

1.Connection to the sewer or

2.Micro Water Wastewaster Tretament

Objective 1

Basic Facilities(general plan)

Waste Water DrainagePreview

Concrete areaCentral grid

Grey water grid

Black water

Potable water

Information panel

Micro Treatment System

•Micro wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)

•Oxidation of Sludge aerobic bacteria

•Programmed operation,

•No Odor,Different volumes.

Objective 1

Cost:From 2500€ to 11000€

1.4Stromwaste and Waterwaste

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

Symptoms:

Odor, litters, development of undesirable vegetation...

Causes:

No treatment of Stormwater (with litter and waste)

SANITARY, VISUAL, ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Objective 1: Creation of storm basins.

Objective 2: Information and awareness

Stormwater Runoff from Streets

Sewage Network

Stormwater Polluants,

Litters,Wastewater.

URBAN BEACH

Dry Basins

Native plants Biodiversity protect

Operational all the year.

Control of stormwater polluted.

Control of the fertilizer impact.

Cost :

about 2,7€ - 4€ for each

cubic meter

Objective 2

Buarcos

Watercourse “Buarcos”

Storm Basin

Native plants for self-purification

Benefice:

•Preserve biodiversity

•Water purification

•Decrease odors

Cost :circa. 11€-40€/m2

300m2 3300€-12000€ (requires further studies)

Objective 2

ECOSYSTEM

Accumulation and stabilization of Sand

Accumulation and stabilization of sand

Diagnosis:•Absence of dunes stabilization dunes, (1)•Destruction of vegetation, (2)Stopping of the accretion process by lapping the beach.•Removal of sand (3)Some “earth area” followed by the rocky outcrop of rocks is noticeable (see picture 3).Large sandstorm during windy daysSanding of facilities

Causes:Using machines to rake and return the sand (4)

(1)

(2) (3) (4)

Accumulation and stabilization of sand

Objective 1: Restoration and stabilization of the beach and dune system in critical and fragile area

Objective 2: Environmental education for visitors

OBJECTIVES

Restoration of beach and dune system

• Coastal reclamation projects To “fill” the Beach-projects with eventually turning the landscape to a wildly part

•Construction of: Berm (“berma”), dune, beach nourishment, dune stabilization or structural stabilization.

Objective 1,2 and 3

Dune restoration process• Pict1: Building dune with quarry

sand,

• Pict2: Covering quarry sand with natural dune sand,

• Pict3: Planting the artificial dune with beachgrass

• Pict4: Protection of the area

Pict1

Pict2

Pict3 Pict4

Objective 1,2 and 3

Grass Dune disposal

Dune grass planting

Effectiveness: •Enhancement to natural dune recovery. •Reservoir of sand held in planted foredunes,

Buffer to resist storm erosion. Buffer to protect facilities against sanding

Benefice:•Compliments natural system,•Potentially self sustaining.

Costs:•Low but labor intensive with on-going management,About 240€ - 2400€/100m length for each visit.

Objective 1,2 and 3

BIODIVERSITY

Wild beach part, April 2010

Development opportunities

•Creation of no-access area

•Wild Zone

•Complete abolition of the lapping action

•Environmental education

Visitors

Schools and Students

• Improves Tourism (“natural habitat” vs. “artificial beach”)

Thank you for your attention