Sustainable Coastal Development in Response to Natural and Anthropogenic Impacts As Well As to Climate Change

There is huge pressure on the world's coasts due to development demands from coastal societies. The coastal area is special, because it defines the transition from land to sea. The coastal area thus offers access to the sea but on the other hand the sea also constitutes a severe restriction on the coastal area. Furthermore, the coastal area is a morphological active zone under the influence of the following "forces", processes and climate changes: (1) Natural "forces" such as tides, surges and waves, and extreme events such as tropical cyclones (typhoons/hurricanes) and tsunamis (2) Natural processes, such as sediment transport, coastal erosion, sand accumulation, sedimentation and location for river mouths and tidal inlets (3) Climate change manifesting itself in the form of Sea Level Rise (SLR) and changed wind patterns The increasing pressure on the shorelines and the coastal landscape from the above mentioned factors in combination with the anthropogenic activities (ports, coastal protection/sea defence, reclamations, coastal and offshore waterfront developments, cooling water intakes and outlets, infrastructure projects, wind farms, etc.) highlight the need for sustainable development in order to meet future demands in this region, while also taking into consideration the impacts associated with climate change. The concept of "Working with Nature" is important when the goal is to obtain an overall sustainable development.