Isaac Azuz-Adeath

Microscale Governance and Temporal Regulations in Beach Management

This chapter discusses processes and structures of nearshore (marine) and costal governance by focusing on microscale (beach level) situations, inside the Mexican legal and regulatory context. The document compares the efficiency and effectivity of national initiatives, programs and actions with the local –and sometime temporal- measures emanated at beach, community or county level. The principal focus of this research is the lack of articulation and the existence of temporal gaps between managerial decisions related with governance, among national and local institutions and stakeholders, and its impacts towards beach sustainability. Looking at several study places (most of them urban touristic beaches) in the Pacific, Gulf of California and Gulf of Mexico littoral, the paper identify the best local governance (microscale governance) practices, and stablish routes of action toward their implementation at national level.

Potential Impacts of Decadal Climate Variability on Coastal Biodiversity and Societal Important Productive Activities: A Case Study in Mexican Coastal States

This chapter shows the influence and potential impacts of decadal climate variability on Mexico’s coastal biodiversity, fishery, and agricultural production, using the temporal structure of several modes of climate variability relevant for the northern hemisphere, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), as well as climatic variables time series (precipitation, maximum, and minimum temperature). An evaluation of the historical and potential effects of this natural climate variability is presented for the 17 Mexican coastal states. The results show a clear influence of the climatic variables and the different modes of climatic variability on the agricultural production in all coastal states, with the highest positive correlation between AMO and lemon production in Colima state (r = 0.87) and maximum negative between NAO and sorghum production in Tamaulipas state (r = −076); an influence on forestry production for some coastal regions – like Oaxaca state; as well as its impact on the natural vegetation cover changes and consequently on biodiversity. The need for systematic, regular, and long-term monitoring processes of climatic variables, coastal resources of economic value, and biodiversity are key elements for generating knowledge and establishing adaptation and mitigation measures for climatic phenomena of the order of decades and larger time scales.

From Sediment Movement to Morphodynamic Changes, Useful Information from the Modeling World to the Beach Management Practice

Beaches respond in several time and space scales to physical phenomena like wind, waves, tides, storm-surges, littoral currents, river discharges and sea level rise. As a dynamical system they can also be changed due to the influence of biological, geological and chemical processes as well as human-related activities such as urban expansion and port development; construction of coastal protection infrastructure; resources extraction or production and, tourism related actions, among others. In order to properly manage the beaches, any proposed plan or program should preserve the natural structure and function of the beach. In this sense, coastal managers need to choose among several scenarios and managerial options based on the best scientific information available, and one of the most adequate method to do that -considering the cost/benefit-, is looking at the results of coastal simulation models. This paper is focused on coastal processes and review some empirical and numerical models emanated from the coastal engineering arena that can be useful in the practice of coastal management; identify the stages of management in which should be used; and proposes strategies for the proper implementation, monitoring and review of the modeling results, in the context of local beach management.