Vulnerability Analysis of the Riumar Dune Field in El Garxal Coastal Wetland (Ebro Delta, Spain)

Abstract

The aim of this work is to apply a vulnerability index in the dune field located in the Riumar urban zone at the mouth of the Ebro River. This dune field represents the natural barrier of the El Garxal coastal lagoon system. The index used integrates the dimensions of exposure, susceptibility, and resilience from the analysis of 19 variables. The results obtained show moderate susceptibility and high resilience, which are in line with the behavior of this dune field during the last sea storms (Gloria in January 2020 and Philomena in January 2021, among others) that have tested the capacity of this system to cope with the effects of these storms. Therefore, increasing the knowledge of the factors affecting the vulnerability of the dunes can be helpful in the management and conservation of these coastal environments.