The Ever-Dynamic Kurzeme Coast: Harnessing Remote Sensing for Erosion Monitoring in the Context of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP)

The Latvian coastline along the Baltic Sea, stretching from the Latvian-Lithuanian boundary northward and encompassing the cities of Liepāja and Ventspils (Kurzeme Coast), is undergoing persistent coastal erosion. Annually, significant bank and sand erosion can result in a coastal displacement of up to 2 to 3 meters. This coastline is crucial for Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and delineates the boundaries of private property abutting the sea.

This boundary between land and sea has always garnered considerable interest. Multiple measurements have been performed, encompassing conventional geodetic techniques and aerial laser scanning. Advances in remote sensing with the Copernicus Program and the use of references of the Copernicus Marine Service are some aspects that contributed to more accessible and faster data collection.

When merging remote sensing data with the terrestrial reference system and tidal gauge data from ports of Liepājas and Ventspils, this integration provides a significant source of research data that enhances our understanding of coastal erosion and also helps us to predict the long-term impacts on land-sea stability. This has considerable ramifications not only for the design and implementation of MSP but also for the wider framework of land-sea interactions and maritime and coastal planning along the Kurzeme coastline.

Acknowledgements/funding

 Jānis Kaminskis, Ieva Demjanenko, Ļubova Šuļakova and Dāvis Sīka recognize the support supported by research and development grant No. RTU-PA-2024/1-0049 (”Maritime spatial planning according to international requirements on the Kurzeme coast”) under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funded project No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/003 “Implementation of consolidation and management changes at Riga Technical University, Liepaja University, Rezekne Academy of Technology, Latvian Maritime Academy and Liepaja Maritime College for the progress towards excellence in higher education, science, and innovation”.

Leila Neimane acknowledges the support received within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101034309 in the framework of the SEAS (Shaping European Research Leaders for Marine Sustainability) programme.