Rosa M. Fraguell

Proposal for an Integral Quality Index for Urban and Urbanized Beaches

A composite index, based on function analysis and including thirteen sub-indices, was developed to assess the overall quality of urban and urbanized beaches in the Mediterranean area. The aggregation of components and sub-indices was based on two questionnaires completed by beach users and experts. Applying the new Beach Quality Index (BQI) demonstrated that the quality of beaches could be improved. In general, the strongest aspects of the beaches assessed were those related to short-term user demand, and the weakest were those related to the consequences of human pressure on the area, in particular, erosion problems. The composite index is intended to be used together with Environmental Management Beach Systems (EMBs) as a hierarchical management scorecard and in monitoring programs. This new tool could also make planning more proactive by synthesizing the state of the most important beach processes.

Assessing Current Conditions of Coastal Dune Systems of Mediterranean Developed Shores

ABSTRACT Pintó, J.; Martí, C., and Fraguell, R.M., 2014. Assessing current conditions of coastal dune systems of Mediterranean developed shores. A method of assessment was developed to evaluate the current condition and function of dunes in developed coastal tourist areas of the Mediterranean. The aim was to identify a procedure for differentiating between more and less valuable dune systems. The method was tested on the Costa Brava (Catalonia, NE Spain) and may prove useful for designing conservation and management strategies for coastal dunes in developed areas. The evaluation method was based on a set of 12 indicators relating to three aspects that we consider fundamental for the management of dune landscapes: dune morphology (dune landforms) associated with the evolution of the dune system, dune vegetation, and human impacts. The assessment was tested on each of the 34 existing dune systems of the Costa Brava. Cluster analysis provided a classification into five groups differentiated by characteristics of morphological development, total number of dune-restricted plant species, and degree of human impact suffered. The best evaluation was achieved by the indicators of morphological development, with 76% of the dune systems rating above average. On the other hand, only 42% of the systems rated above average in the indicator of dune-restricted plant species. The worst results came from the indicators of human impact, with only three beaches rating above average in this respect. The evaluation has shown the Costa Brava dune systems to be in a precarious state of conservation because most systems are located on urban or suburban beaches. The best-conserved areas were the larger dune systems located on seminatural or semiurban beaches, where human pressure is weaker. The procedure described in this article provides a useful tool for coastal managers to assess changes in the state of their dune systems over time and to focus their management policies on the protection of systems under the greatest threat. RESUMEN En este trabajo se presenta un método de evaluación del estado actual de los sistemas dunares que se localizan en las costas mediterráneas de uso turístico. El método está basado en la utilización de 12 indicadores relacionados con los elementos más significativos del medio ambiente dunar: el desarrollo morfológico de las dunas, la vegetación que albergan y los impactos humanos que afectan al sistema. La bondad del índice ha sido testada en los 34 sistemas dunares identificados en la Costa Brava (NE Spain), una de las principales costas turísticas del Mediterráneo occidental. Un análisis de grupos ha permitido la clasificación de de los sistemas dunares estudiados en cinco grupos, que se diferencian en el desarrollo morfológico, la diversidad de especies y la intensidad del impacto humano. Los mejores resultados fueron obtenidos por los indicadores sobre la morfología de las dunas, con un 76% de los sistemas por encima del valor medio. Por otro lado, solo el 42% de los sistemas dunares superó el valor medio del indicador de diversidad de especies. Los peores resultados fueron para los indicadores relacionados con el impacto humano, con solo tres playas por encima de la media. La evaluación ha mostrado que los sistemas dunares de la Costa Brava se encuentran en un estado precario, ya que la mayoría se localizan en playas urbanas y suburbanas. Los sistemas mejor conservados son los situados en playas naturales y seminaturales donde la presión humana es menor. El procedimiento utilizado proporciona una herramienta útil para los gestores de la costa en la evaluación de los cambios en el estado de los sistemas dunares en el tiempo y en dirigir la gestión en la protección de los sistemas más amenazados.

After over 25 years of accrediting beaches, has Blue Flag contributed to sustainable management?

This paper examines the qualitative, quantitative, and geographical evolution (1987–2012) of the Blue Flag campaign and accreditation process in Spain, a leading coastal tourism destination heading the list of awards. The standard Blue Flag criteria for crowded, developed beaches are now adapting to new demands for natural beaches, but they still fail to capture essential sustainable tourism features, such as limiting user numbers, or preserving and restoring sand ecosystems. Given these shortcomings, some destinations are moving to alternative awards with a higher environmental commitment, such as EMS, ISO14001, and Eco-Management and Audit Schemes (EMAS). A cluster analysis of Blue Flag data for 983 beaches in Spain over 26 years revealed different behaviour patterns: established tourist areas that have always opted for the Blue Flag programme; tourist areas that adopted the Blue Flag early on but replaced it with ISO14001 and EMAS; recently developed destinations applying for the award to boost their tourism promotion; and tourist areas with no well-defined policy that have opted intermittently for Blue Flag. These profiles illustrate the different policies of Spains Autonomous Regions, and they are useful for tourism managers to verify whether their destinations behaviour pattern contributes to sustainable tourism and matches strategic policies they have designed for them.

Peer and Self-Assessment Applied to Oral Presentations from a Multidisciplinary Perspective.

This article analyses the use of peer and self-assessment in oral presentations as complementary tools to assessment by the professor. The analysis is based on a study conducted at the University of Girona (Spain) in seven different degree subjects and fields of knowledge. We designed and implemented two instruments to measure students’ peer and self-assessment, and a rubric to guide the assessment process. Results were compared with the marks awarded by the professor. In contrast with studies by other authors, which show a high correlation between these different assessment systems, our study revealed significant deviations. Applying peer and self-assessment to oral presentation activities also demonstrates their formative value above and beyond their summative usefulness.

RECREATIONAL USES AND MOTIVATIONS OF VISITORS IN SEASIDE WETLANDS OF COSTA BRAVA (SPAIN)

Seaside wetlands bring together a huge quantity of services and functions, especially ecological and social. All of them depend on the ecological quality of ecosystems and on the equipment and service that allow them to be enjoyed. Tourism is an economic segment, carrying an important weight in most coastal regions around the world. Hence a complete environmental management of seaside wetlands should include the touristic perspective. In this communication, we analyse usage and motivation in three seaside wetlands of the Costa Brava (Spain) through a survey realized in the months of the highest occurrence of visitors (from June to September 2015). From the results, we highlight the high number of visitors who use the sites for recreational purposes (49%), such as running or cycling, in comparison with visitors who stated aesthetic motivations (16%). Many visitors also stated no motivation for visiting the sites (31%); they use them as car parks to go to the beach or as a byway to other sites. On the other hand, most visitors stressed the landscape (30%) or the degree of naturalness (29%) as a positive element of seaside wetlands, while the majority of negative elements are linked to bad management of the site (36%). When we requested a landscape valuation in a five-point scale, a significant number of high values were shown. Furthermore, we found a link between evaluation and tourism typology (local, national or foreign, lodged or excursionist) and motivation for visit (recreational, aesthetic or without). The principal conclusion is that, despite the fact that the main uses of the seaside wetlands are recreational, tourists appreciate landscape quality and degree of naturalness in sites where they develop their activities. This assigns to tourism, especially seaside tourism, an active role in conservation of seaside wetlands.

Using peer assessment to evaluate teamwork from a multidisciplinary perspective

Abstract This article analyses the use of peer evaluation as a tool for evaluating teamwork and students’ perceptions of this type of evaluation. A study was conducted of six subjects included on five degree courses at the University of Girona. In all of these subjects, students carried out a team activity, evaluated the performance of the team and the involvement of its different members, and responded to a survey on their perceptions of this evaluation system. We found the main factors influencing the evaluation and perception of teamwork to be teachers’ and students’ prior experience in this type of evaluation activity, the field where it is applied, the academic year students are enrolled on and the weight of the activity in the final mark. The results show that, in general, students’ views regarding such evaluation procedures are positive.

Uses and Preferences of Visitors to Coastal Wetlands in Tourism Destinations (Costa Brava, Spain)

The local development policies of coastal tourism destinations are frequently focused on popular resources, such as beaches, and tend to overlook coastal wetlands, which are often located in the interstitial spaces of urbanistic transformations caused by mass tourism and considered untended marginal sites. This article investigates the uses and preferences of visitors to these wetlands with the goal of increasing cultural sustainability, improving conservation and strengthening management policies. Although the results show that almost all the current uses of coastal wetlands are recreational (such as cycling, running and walking), visitors have indicated that the positive aspects of these sites are related to their landscape quality and degree of naturalness. The results also suggest that although repeat visitors are aware of wetlands’ value, increasing the consciousness of local inhabitants regarding their value is important for prioritising local policies designed to promote the conservation of wetlands located at coastal tourism destinations. Finally, our study results indicate that improving cultural sustainability is compatible with improving the ecological status of coastal wetlands.

Propuesta metodológica para valorar la calidad escénica de los paisajes del agua y su potencial como recurso turístico

Waterscapes in coastal tourist destinations can reduce overcrowding and seasonality, which effect tourist destinations that focus on beaches as a tourism resource. Furthermore, tourism can justify the conservation of these landscapes, which is often forgotten by urban planners, thus forming a symbiotic relationship between tourism and conservation. To this end, it is necessary to evaluate and classify the attributes of waterscapes so that they can become a tourism resource. In this paper, a method to simultaneously evaluate the scenic quality and the potential as a tourism attraction is presented. Scenic quality focuses on a multisensory perspective, one that not only considers visualscape but also soundscape and smellscape. To evaluate its tourist potential, the relevance, accessibility, equipment and long-term viability were all taken into consideration. The method is applied and tested in three waterscapes of the Costa Brava (Girona, Spain). It proved to be reliable enough from an all-round point of view to be extrapolated in other waterscapes.

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN THE SPANISH MEDITERRANEAN COAST: THE COSTA BRAVA CASE STUDY

The Costa Brava (Girona, Spain) is one of the pioneering regions along the Spanish Mediterranean coast in terms of wastewater treatment. Since the 1950s, the water quality in swimming areas has been affected by the ongoing tourist development. However, at the same time, this issue has motivated the implementation of wastewater treatment systems that, otherwise, would have been delayed. With that mission, the Costa Brava Consortium (CCB) was created in 1971. The CCB is a public institution formed by all the municipalities along the coast of Girona, the head of Girona province and the watershed authority (formerly called the Eastern Pyrenees Hydrographical Confederation). Taking a conceptual approach derived from the Political Ecology of Tourism, the aim of this study is to explore the close relationship among the tourism boom, the economic and technologic investments related to wastewater management, and the improvement of environmental quality of the Costa Brava swimming areas. We believe that the tourist sector has forced public administrations to minimize the environmental impact derived from tourist activities. In fact, wastewater treatment has contributed to achieve improved and optimal swimming conditions in beaches, the most valuable resource for sun and sand tourist sector. The increasingly strict environmental regulations issued at European level have an important role in the discursive legitimation of high public expenses. Nevertheless, water-related management costs have been progressively financed by tax-payers, under pretexts of economic crisis or limited public budget. In addition, private capital is considered as the only way to maintain present infrastructures and to invest in new ones.