Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques

In Lebanon, environmental, economic, and demographic challenges are mainly concentrated along the coastline. This observation is particularly relevant for Akkar Bay, a 13 km long coastal area located in the north of the country, between the Al-Kabir (demarcating the northern border with Syria) and t...

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Main Authors: Laurence Charbel, Hussein El Hage Hassan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société Royale Belge de Géographie and the Belgian National Committee of Geography 2024-12-01
Series:Belgeo
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/74424
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author Laurence Charbel
Hussein El Hage Hassan
author_facet Laurence Charbel
Hussein El Hage Hassan
author_sort Laurence Charbel
collection DOAJ
description In Lebanon, environmental, economic, and demographic challenges are mainly concentrated along the coastline. This observation is particularly relevant for Akkar Bay, a 13 km long coastal area located in the north of the country, between the Al-Kabir (demarcating the northern border with Syria) and the Al-Bared rivers. This coastline consists of sandy and pebble beaches and small rocky and sandy cliffs. It has undergone various changes due to human activity and natural processes.To understand the dynamic of this coastline, it is crucial to trace the historical evolution of the shoreline, marking the border between land and sea. In this context, a study was carried out to assess the evolution of the Akkar coastline over different periods (1962-2019). This analysis involved the delineation of the shoreline by photointerpretation of aerial photographs from 1962 and satellite images from 1994, 2005, 2012, and 2019. The study used the DSAS (Digital Shoreline Analysis System) tool integrated into ArcGIS. Using the freely available DSAS 5.1 extension allowed for comparing shoreline positions at different periods and for producing a statistical description of coastal dynamics by period (erosion, accretion, stability).The results indicate a marked trend in coastal erosion between 1962 and 2019, with an average rate of retreat of 2 meters per year. However, this erosion is not uniform across sectors or periods, mainly influenced by hydrodynamic forces such as submersions and floods and by human activities such as sand extraction. The sandy beaches, located primarily in the northern part of the Akkar coastline, are the most vulnerable to this erosion. Conversely, the relatively stable areas of the coastline are found in the southern part and are protected by riprap and breakwaters. The construction of the Al-Abdeh port in 1985 also favored the development of accretion zones.
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spelling doaj-art-e2c88727503a434a92aa935c109a87c92025-08-20T02:13:19ZengSociété Royale Belge de Géographie and the Belgian National Committee of GeographyBelgeo1377-23682294-91352024-12-01110.4000/12zhvLe dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiquesLaurence CharbelHussein El Hage HassanIn Lebanon, environmental, economic, and demographic challenges are mainly concentrated along the coastline. This observation is particularly relevant for Akkar Bay, a 13 km long coastal area located in the north of the country, between the Al-Kabir (demarcating the northern border with Syria) and the Al-Bared rivers. This coastline consists of sandy and pebble beaches and small rocky and sandy cliffs. It has undergone various changes due to human activity and natural processes.To understand the dynamic of this coastline, it is crucial to trace the historical evolution of the shoreline, marking the border between land and sea. In this context, a study was carried out to assess the evolution of the Akkar coastline over different periods (1962-2019). This analysis involved the delineation of the shoreline by photointerpretation of aerial photographs from 1962 and satellite images from 1994, 2005, 2012, and 2019. The study used the DSAS (Digital Shoreline Analysis System) tool integrated into ArcGIS. Using the freely available DSAS 5.1 extension allowed for comparing shoreline positions at different periods and for producing a statistical description of coastal dynamics by period (erosion, accretion, stability).The results indicate a marked trend in coastal erosion between 1962 and 2019, with an average rate of retreat of 2 meters per year. However, this erosion is not uniform across sectors or periods, mainly influenced by hydrodynamic forces such as submersions and floods and by human activities such as sand extraction. The sandy beaches, located primarily in the northern part of the Akkar coastline, are the most vulnerable to this erosion. Conversely, the relatively stable areas of the coastline are found in the southern part and are protected by riprap and breakwaters. The construction of the Al-Abdeh port in 1985 also favored the development of accretion zones.https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/74424erosioncoastlineLebanonDSASAkkar bayhuman activity
spellingShingle Laurence Charbel
Hussein El Hage Hassan
Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
Belgeo
erosion
coastline
Lebanon
DSAS
Akkar bay
human activity
title Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
title_full Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
title_fullStr Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
title_full_unstemmed Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
title_short Le dynamisme littoral de la Baie d’Akkar (Liban nord) : impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
title_sort le dynamisme littoral de la baie d akkar liban nord impacts des facteurs naturels et anthropiques
topic erosion
coastline
Lebanon
DSAS
Akkar bay
human activity
url https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/74424
work_keys_str_mv AT laurencecharbel ledynamismelittoraldelabaiedakkarlibannordimpactsdesfacteursnaturelsetanthropiques
AT husseinelhagehassan ledynamismelittoraldelabaiedakkarlibannordimpactsdesfacteursnaturelsetanthropiques