Human Impact and Rates of Shore Retreat Along the Black Sea Coast

The coast of the Black Sea is 4431 km in length, 47% of which is actively eroding. Much of the coast consists of cliffs, divided into three types: rockfall, landslide, denudation. Cliff erosion rates, for these types are: 0.3-0.5 m/yr to 4-5 m/yr; 0.1-0.3 to 2-3 m/yr; and 0.01 to 0.2 m/yr, respectively. Beach sediment available is: 5-7 m 3 /m/y r in the Odessa region; 5-6 m 3 /m/y r in the Western Crimea; and 3-6 m 3 /m/y r on the Rumanian and Bulgarian coasts. Human impact has greatly accelerated erosion rates at many coastal sites; and there has been a policy change, from engineered structures to artificial nourishment, in dealing with this problem.