IHCantabria successfully completes ViPEco project and provides a viewer for the analysis of nature-based solutions as coastal protection measures

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria) has successfully concluded the project entitled “Viewer of the Coastal Protection Service provided by Coastal Ecosystems” (ViPEco), which is a pioneering initiative in coastal management in the face of climate change. This project has developed key tools to assess and transfer knowledge on the protection service provided by nature-based solutions (NBS) and hybrid solutions (HS), which combine natural and conventional infrastructures to address coastal climate challenges.

The ViPEco project was developed by IHCantabria research staff, between November 2022 and November 2024, under the leadership of the principal investigator (PI) María E. Maza Fernández and with the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team, composed of Pablo Ruiz Ceballos, Luis Pedraz Polo, Antonio Tomás, María Recio and Saúl Torres.

“The main results of this project are a methodology for the evaluation of the coastal protection service provided by nature-based and hybrid solutions and a viewer that allows this service to be displayed,” explained PI, María E. Maza Fernández.

The development of ViPEco marks a milestone in the technological transfer of knowledge generated in the previous project “Hybrid Solutions for Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change” (SHACC), which has made it possible to consolidate and improve tools that will contribute to the objectives of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC) and the European Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change. ViPEco values the capacity of coastal ecosystems to reduce risks of coastal flooding, promoting their conservation and recovery, when necessary, thus also giving rise to ecosystem services linked to climate change mitigation and biodiversity enhancement.

ViPEco project characteristics

The ViPEco project focused on the analysis of SbN and SH as sustainable coastal protection measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change in coastal areas. These areas, characterized by high population density and economic activity, are particularly vulnerable to phenomena such as flooding.

One of the main achievements is the development of a methodology to evaluate the coastal protection service provided by SbN and SH, as well as their effectiveness in different climate scenarios. In addition, an interactive web viewer has been created to facilitate the transfer of this knowledge to managers and decision-makers, promoting its implementation in climate change adaptation plans.

During its execution, ViPEco focused its attention on two case studies: the Bay of Santander -an environment of great economic and environmental activity-, and the coast of Maresme, in Mataró (Barcelona) -an area particularly exposed to climate risks-. Both territories were analyzed in current and future climate scenarios, using projections to assess both risks and the effectiveness of nature-based and hybrid solutions.

The main tasks of this project include the design of the methodology, the identification of high-risk areas, the proposal of hybrid solutions in those areas where they are necessary and feasible, and the design and launch of the ViPEco web viewer(https://vipeco.ihcantabria.com/#/home).

From the scientific and technical point of view, ViPEco has addressed key aspects such as the characterization of current and future climate scenarios, the analysis of specific flood indicators for the study areas, and the quantification of the protection service provided by ecosystems and hybrid solutions, using novel numerical tools in which new ways of obtaining the energy attenuation provided by coastal ecosystems using predictive formulations have been implemented.

Beyond coastal protection, coastal ecosystems provide a suite of ecosystem services. These services include the provision of natural resources such as fisheries, biodiversity support, cultural benefits associated with recreational activities, and climate regulation through carbon sequestration. ViPEco proposes the use of SbN and SH as coastal protection measures in order to consider all these socioeconomic benefits, added to the analyzed protection service, reinforcing the potential of these solutions over conventional coastal defense measures.

The implementation of this project represents a crucial step towards a more sustainable and resilient adaptation to climate change, promoting the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. ViPEco not only offers practical tools for coastal risk management, but also opens new opportunities for the development of future projects focused on the integration of ecosystem services into climate adaptation policies.

For more information on the characteristics and results of the ViPEco project, please visit the project website:

https: //vipeco.ihcantabria.es