to benefit from these restoration practices. Who pays for them? The restoration
examples presented in this book show that restoration and rehabilitation are mostly
financed by Government authorities (Table 20.1). Restoration of dunes and the remobilization of stabilized dunes is frequently performed in public parks/conservation regions and financed by government agencies. Private funds for restoration
and rehabilitation are less frequent. For example, in South Africa the mining
companies financed restoration activities. In Galveston (Texas), it was the stakeholders and local government agencies who paid for rehabilitation after every
hurricane landing on this island (Feagin, Chap. 6, this volume). As human impacts
increase, so will the need for more funds for restoration and rehabilitation.
20.4 Discussion
Independently of how effective the restoration actions were, what we have learned
from numerous restoration projects at dune sites is that we cannot fully compensate for the ecological functioning of natural processes, such as, for example,
intensive aeolian transport, local blowout development and maintenance, a regular
supply of nonpolluted groundwater, or shoreline protection. As much as possible,
dunes should be allowed to evolve and move freely, or at least to the extent
possible within the constraints of human infrastructure (on developed coasts). The
heterogeneity of these systems needs to be maintained in order to protect their
integrity and conservation values.
Coastal dune restoration must take into account the spatial and temporal scale
of their evolution, landforms, structures, and functions, and therefore dune restoration plans should have a regional approach, incorporating landscape-scale
processes (Gallego-Fernández et al. 2011). In general, coastal dune restoration
practices require the following actions. Independently of the goals for restoration
(rehabilitation, remobilization, stabilization), the factors and conditions that are
affecting coastal beach and dune dynamics, development, and evolution, need to
be determined so that these factors can be addressed. Then, it can be decided what
are the best actions that need to be taken. Natural sediment and vegetation
dynamics should be allowed to occur wherever possible. In order to allow this we
need to protect dune systems far better, and one priority should be to work toward
the creation of many more dune conservation areas around the world. In addition,
there are many actions we can take to better protect beach–dune system dynamics:
beach raking and driving on beaches and dunes should be eliminated; reducing and
preferably eliminating pollution should be of paramount importance; protecting
endangered species, restricting or eliminating invasive species should be a primary
objective; construction on foredunes should be declared illegal; and the creation of
set-back zones where construction is forbidden should become a common planning
requirement. Chiefly, natural aeolian processes and natural vegetation dynamics
should be allowed to function wherever and whenever possible. By accepting more
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M. L. Martínez et al.
examples presented in this book show that restoration and rehabilitation are mostly
financed by Government authorities (Table 20.1). Restoration of dunes and the remobilization of stabilized dunes is frequently performed in public parks/conservation regions and financed by government agencies. Private funds for restoration
and rehabilitation are less frequent. For example, in South Africa the mining
companies financed restoration activities. In Galveston (Texas), it was the stakeholders and local government agencies who paid for rehabilitation after every
hurricane landing on this island (Feagin, Chap. 6, this volume). As human impacts
increase, so will the need for more funds for restoration and rehabilitation.
20.4 Discussion
Independently of how effective the restoration actions were, what we have learned
from numerous restoration projects at dune sites is that we cannot fully compensate for the ecological functioning of natural processes, such as, for example,
intensive aeolian transport, local blowout development and maintenance, a regular
supply of nonpolluted groundwater, or shoreline protection. As much as possible,
dunes should be allowed to evolve and move freely, or at least to the extent
possible within the constraints of human infrastructure (on developed coasts). The
heterogeneity of these systems needs to be maintained in order to protect their
integrity and conservation values.
Coastal dune restoration must take into account the spatial and temporal scale
of their evolution, landforms, structures, and functions, and therefore dune restoration plans should have a regional approach, incorporating landscape-scale
processes (Gallego-Fernández et al. 2011). In general, coastal dune restoration
practices require the following actions. Independently of the goals for restoration
(rehabilitation, remobilization, stabilization), the factors and conditions that are
affecting coastal beach and dune dynamics, development, and evolution, need to
be determined so that these factors can be addressed. Then, it can be decided what
are the best actions that need to be taken. Natural sediment and vegetation
dynamics should be allowed to occur wherever possible. In order to allow this we
need to protect dune systems far better, and one priority should be to work toward
the creation of many more dune conservation areas around the world. In addition,
there are many actions we can take to better protect beach–dune system dynamics:
beach raking and driving on beaches and dunes should be eliminated; reducing and
preferably eliminating pollution should be of paramount importance; protecting
endangered species, restricting or eliminating invasive species should be a primary
objective; construction on foredunes should be declared illegal; and the creation of
set-back zones where construction is forbidden should become a common planning
requirement. Chiefly, natural aeolian processes and natural vegetation dynamics
should be allowed to function wherever and whenever possible. By accepting more
334
M. L. Martínez et al.