Pilot sites adapto, a LIFE project

Adapto 10 pilot sites in Metropolitan France and overseas

Adapto covers most of the types of European coastal environments (more mangroves) for which rise sea level is an issue, with the exception of cliffed coasts.

These sites are representative of the 5 types of coastal environments:

- Low and sandy Atlantic coasts (Authie Bay)

- Polderised low Atlantic coasts (Orne Estuary – Lancieux Bay – Moëze Marsh – Gironde Estuary – Leyre Delta)

- Mediterranean barrier beaches (Petit and Grand Travers – Golo Delta)

- Mediterranean salt marshes (Vieux Salins of Hyères)

- Mangroves (Rice fields of Mana)

Authie Bay

Complex sedimentary exchanges take place in this Picardy estuary where the erosion of the dune bar endangers the lowlands located at sea level.

Orne Estuary

The Orne counts many canals and lacks expansion space: this raises the question of the disconnection of polders and adjacent marshes in a perspective of adaptation to climate change.

Lancieux Bay

The aim here is to combine heritage, environment and the use of natural areas through a strategy of progressive managed realignment.

On this vast marsh with a rich historical, natural and human heritage, the coastal dyke is weakened by recurring extreme weather events. Several scenarios of management and evolution of the coastline need to be studied before a decision is taken.

Gironde Estuary

Mortagne polders

Following the 1999 storm, a breach in the dyke of the downstream polder connected this site back with the estuary natural environment. What lessons can be learned regarding the neighbouring polders?

The Île Nouvelle

Further upstream, the Île Nouvelle followed a similar tendency: storm Xynthia caused a breach in its northwestern part, and the island gradually became connected with the Gironde River and in the meantime its biological diversity grow considerably. Numerous scientific monitoring action take place on these sites.

Leyre Delta

Certes and Graveyron Domain

In former fish ponds, the Conservatoire du littoral and the managing authority decided to let the marine become connected back with the trap most exposed to marine hazards.

Island of Malprat

This same management choice allows to increase the surface of salt meadows, thus helping to reduce erosion and submersion caused by waves.

Petit and Grand Travers

A large consultation process with the local community helped to remove the coastal road in order to regenerate the dune bar and improve the access to the beach barrier separating the Golden Pond from the Mediterranean Sea.

Vieux Salins of Hyères

In order to regenerate the environment, adaptive coastal management, such as the demolition of a rip-rap revetment can be considered on this coastal wetland site.

Golo Delta

The strong natural dynamics at work on this coast must be analysed and then be combined with high economic stakes. Both issues will be then the basics of a plan of intentions for an integrated management of the coastal area.

Rice fields of Mana

An agricultural and ecotourism project should first restore the balance of the coastal sediments disturbed by the creation of rice fields in the 1980s and also maintain a continental hotspot of biodiversity.

Adapto in short

Initiated by the Conservatoire du Littoral, adapto is a project that explores solutions to the impacts of climate change on the coast by advocating adaptive coastal management. Experimental approaches are implemented on selected sites by using a frame of reference and analyzing the context of each region (risk management, landscape, economy, social perception...) and by implementing tools (3D modelling, landscape analysis...).

A LIFE project

With the financial support of the LIFE project of the European Union.

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Pilot sites

Adapto 10 pilot sites in Metropolitan France and overseas

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Authie Bay

Orne Estuary

Lancieux Bay

Moëze Marsh