THE ROLE OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) AND OF DPSIR MODEL IN LIGURIAN COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT

(1) Picollo Andrea, (1) Albertelli G., Bava S., (2) Verardi D., (3) Coppo S.

(1) DIPTERIS - University of Genova (IT)
(2) R.S.T.A. Scrl, Genova (IT)
(3) Regione Liguria, Genova (IT)

Abstract
The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual methodology for a coastal zone environmental management system applied to Ligurian coastal areas.
The implementation of this methodology is based on GIS technology using the indicators and indexes supported by the DPSIR model suggested by Italian Environmental Protection Agency(APAT). The DPSIR model organizes information in five different compartments: Driving forces, Pressure, State, Impacts and Responses. This methodology can be applied to coastal zone for the assessment of environmental conditions, elaboration of management plans and design of specific restoration/conservation actions to be carried out by the responsible institutions like regional governments.

Introduction
Coastal zones are complex environments; they are influenced by a myriad of inter-related forces related to hydrological, geomorphological, socioeconomic, institutional and cultural systems. The close links between the marine and terrestrial components of the coastal zone imply that coastal zone management should always consider both the marine and terrestrial portions of the coastal zone, as well as the river basins draining into it.
The assessment of environmental pressures on coastal zones, on a spatial level, needs a disaggregation/redistribution process of statistical socioeconomic data (e.g. population growth, sectorial activities) towards an "ad hoc" defined region/area. Actually most of the statistics are available only at high levels of aggregation for administrative units such as country, regional or commune level (the smallest administrative unit).
A possible methodological approach for assessing environmental pressures on coastal zone could be analysing disaggregated commune level data limited to the "communes" possessing a coastal strip. This choice provides the advantages of a reference to an administrative unit available in most statistical socioeconomic data bases. Moreover this criterion does not consider at all the great diversities among the various coastal zones expecially in terms of territorial characteristics.
Using this criterion we obtained a list of littoral communes, distributed among 4 provinces (Imperia, Savona, Genova and La Spezia), belonging to Regione Liguria.

The role of the DPSIR approach in marine environmental management
As mentioned in the introduction the DPSIR model organizes information in five different compartments: Driving forces(D), Pressure(P), State(S), Impacts(I) and Responses(R)(Fig.1). Driving forces, are the underlying causes of environmental problems. They refer to the needs of individuals and institutions which lead to activities that exert Pressures on the environment. The Arrow DàP indicates the cause and effect relationship between the number of units of Driving Forces and the number of the Pressures exerted on them. These pressures modify the State of the environment (e.g.change in water quality, fish populations). The Arrow PàS indicates the flow of noxious substances emitted which determine changes in the state of the environment. These modifications may have an impact on ecosystems and on human well being. Obviously the Arrow SàI indicates what occurs. when the environmental state drops below the consented regulation limits or when evident qualitative and systemic changes with an impact on the ecosystems are produced. Undesirable impact lead to a Response from society resulting in the formulation of an environmental policy.

Fig. 1: DPSIR framework

This step is signed with the arrow IàR that indicates the information which is reported back to the policy-makers about the effects of the qualitative changes in the environment. This information flow is vital to be able to respond and contend with environment degradation. The Policy responses lead to changes in the DPSIR chain in the following way:
- The arrow RàD indicates the interventions which aim at regulating the determining factors on the territory.
- The arrow RàP represents the technological directives needed to be applied to reduce polluting emissions from the determining factors.
- The arrow RàS indicates the actions undertaken to improve the environment.
- The arrow RàI implements the monitoring needed to understand the changes in the environment system.
This framework is useful because it leads both scientists and policy makers to think in terms of causality chains. The drawback is that the suggested linear relationships might obscure the more complex relationships in ecosystems.
Applying the DPSIR framework to Ligurian coastal areas means to find an appropriate set of indicators for each compartment. This was obtained by using indicators supplied by Italian Environmental Protection Agency (APAT - CTN AIM, 2001) The results depicting the chosen indicators for each DPSIR compartment are described in the next section.
In the driving forces category the indicator selection was based on the human activities which impact the coastal area directly or indirectly. The following is a list of the resulting indicators:
- Population;
- Population density;
- Turism;
- Industry;
- Intensive agriculture;
- Fishing fleet.

In the pressures category the indicators selected and related units were based on the human activities previously defined:
- Nutrient loads;
- Organic loads;
- Inputs of hazardous substances via river;
- Fish catches;
- Land use.

Due to the pressures listed above the state of the ligurian coastal area should be analysed through the following indicators:
- Nutrient concentrations (NO3, NO2, NH3, PO4);
- Clorophyll a;
- Dissolved Oxygen (DO);
- TRIX (Trophic index);
- TRBIX (Turbidity index);
- Sediment quality Triad Approach (Long and Chapman, 1985);
- Marine biotic Index, (Borja et al., 2003).

The impacts and related units which are a consequence of the state of the environment of the aquatic system are:
- Changes in biodiversity - species and habitats;
- Bathing waters.

Due to all this four categories the responses are:
- Natural reserve and marine protected areas;
- Depuration budget;
- Control campaigns of water and sediment quality;
- Scientific and technological research projects;
- Private and public expenses in environment preservation and coastal zones defense.

A comparison between the "littoral communes" surface areas and the costal strip, was approached using a Geographic Information System (GIS) programme . Some resulting maps of the Ligurian coastal area are shown in Figure 2 and 3.

Fig.2 - Littoral communes Corine Land Cover Class (Land Use)

 

Fig.3 - TRIX value in marine coastal water

Conclusion
The main purpose of this work was to describe a methodology for an environmental management system for Liguria Region based on the application of DPSIR framework. The DPSIR framework can be a useful and efficient tool in environmental data management namely when it exists in a disperse and not synthesised way and where it is essential to apply environmental management measures following the integration principle (environmental, economic and social aspects).
Currently, draft core sets of indicators have been developed separately for marine and terrestrial aspects. A new integrated coastal zone approach is required at different scale levels, considering the particular characteristics of the area, allowing a consistent data aggregation, elaboration and analysis. Starting with the process of identifying the most important indicators for the coastal zone, both from an ecological and a policy-relevant(economic-social) point of view.
Data needs for producing the selected indicators must be identified, based on the existing official available data bases from different institutions, providing a uniform, both spatial and temporal, data distribution for comparability of data and ensuring, at the same time, a continuous and updated data collection.
This methodology can be applied to any coastal zone and it can be used for the assessment of environmental conditions, elaboration of management plans and design of specific restoration/conservation actions to be carried out by the responsible institutions like regional governments.

References