Coastal Physical Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise in the active Ecuadorian margin for Integrated Coastal Zone Management, case study: Santa Elena Bay

Coastal areas face increasing threats from extreme weather and rising sea levels, exposing both human populations and delicate ecosystems. This study evaluates the physical vulnerability in the Santa Elena Bay (SEB) coastline, which is setting in the active margin of Ecuador, which is highly influenced by geological vertical movements. The results of this study permit us to give some recommendations to coastal management. Employing the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI), we analyze variables such as lithology, geomorphology, beach slope, coastal indentation, shoreline displacement, and wave height. The CVI categorized the coast into four vulnerability ranks: Low, Moderate, High, and Very High. Results indicate that low-lying beaches, especially in the Northern zone, where there are higher waves, are the most vulnerable. The Northern zone of SEB exhibits substantially higher vulnerability, with 15.80% of the coast classified as High and 41.76% as Very High. Key factors contributing to Very High vulnerability include low indentation (63.96%), high wave heights (58.69%), and quaternary sediments (57.41%). Conversely, the Southern zone primarily demonstrates High and Low vulnerability, however critical areas can be found which have some important infrastructure to tourism, i.e. Monteverde, San Pablo, Punta Barandúa, Ballenita, and Salinas. The findings highlight the urgency of implementing mitigation measures and integrating adaptive management strategies into urban development policies to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities and protect local ecosystems.