The use of maps of geo-environmental compatibility in coastal management: the case of the Cilento coast (Southern Italy)

Most of the land surface is affected by anthropic intervention with high environmental impacts; the rapid changes produced by man are opposed to the slowness of the biological time necessary for the adaptive natural counterstrategies of the living organisms to evolve. This leads to an environmental emergency which will increase over time. To protect ecosystems from anthropic pressures it is necessary that the behaviour of the human species evolves in line with the biological balance of the ecosystems. The application of environmental models to the processes of planning and management of coastal zones makes it possible to identify lines of sustainable actions to be taken to avoid, solve or mitigate environmental problems that affect these areas. In order to sustainably manage coastal development a methodology was experimented for the analysis of natural and anthropic contexts which led to the realization of the map of geo-environmental compatibility aiming at highlighting parts of the territory in which the anthropic interventions are at a high environmental impact. The use of GIS methodology was effective as allowed to manage the data using a relational database, structured according to data from graphs and alphanumeric data being logically connected. The study area covered the coastal area of the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano, characterized by heavily populated areas but with a strong naturalistic and environmental value.