160
Ever since human beings left nomadism behind to form settled communities,
man-nature relationship grew more complex, with man no longer being part of the
landscape, thus assuming the role of modifier agent. Not merely transforming nature
for survival, men caused imbalance in the natural dynamics that reigns over environmental systems.
Globally, coastal tropical wetlands has high population densities, well above
those found inland, which results in environmental degradation, in some cases with
irreversible destructuring (Small and Nicholls 2003).
The history of territory appropriation proves that coastal areas were prioritized to
the detriment of inland areas, since they have particular characteristics, such as
expressively flat morphology, which facilitate agricultural activities and community
settlement, and privileged location near the ocean, which provides them with better
circulation of goods between continents.
Taking into consideration that, in all peripheral colonial spaces, European colonizers arrived at the new territories by sea, it is understandable why coastal areas
were the first to establish population centers in developing countries. Thus, every
conquest flow started out at coastal centers and progressed towards inland regions.
This recurrent pattern of territorial conformation is described by Moraes (2007)
as occupation by drainage basin. This concept illustrates and confirms the existing
territorial organization, based on the drainage of natural resources that are then
taken to specific spaces in the Coastal Zone.
As urbanization processes advanced, these areas had their landscape reconfigured according to the growing needs of human beings, which increased the instability of natural systems and collaborated with the intensification of environmental
impacts and risk situations, which can be better described by Muehe (1995, p. 254):
Under the geomorphological point of view, the coastline is characterized by instability due
to changes caused by natural and anthropogenic effects, which result in changes in the
availability of sediments, in the wave climate and of relative sea level. The coastline and,
especially, the beaches respond with changes in form and deposition that may have undesirable economic consequences, when they result in the destruction of property or high costs,
in the attempt of stopping or delaying the geomorphological adjustment process […]
The increase in urban agglomerations is a current trend in global urban development. This has been particularly significant throughout coastal wetlands, due to the
advantages in location for industrial and commercial activities. Currently, over 50%
of the world’s population lives up to 100 km from the coastline and eight of the ten
largest urban agglomerations in the world are within the coastal region (Chhabra
and Geist 2006), with high growth rates when compared to other countries, and with
a tendency to rise up to 75% by the year 2020 (Charlier and Bologa 2003).
The interaction between natural processes and the various human activities is
growing in coastal wetlands, which are considered transition areas between land
and sea. The growth in the number and size of coastal cities in countries of peripheral economy has caused intense changes in the dynamics of environmental systems. These agitations have been accelerating the results of environmental changes,
which, among many other consequences, promote alterations in the behavior and
frequency of extreme events.
S.O. Souza et al.
Ever since human beings left nomadism behind to form settled communities,
man-nature relationship grew more complex, with man no longer being part of the
landscape, thus assuming the role of modifier agent. Not merely transforming nature
for survival, men caused imbalance in the natural dynamics that reigns over environmental systems.
Globally, coastal tropical wetlands has high population densities, well above
those found inland, which results in environmental degradation, in some cases with
irreversible destructuring (Small and Nicholls 2003).
The history of territory appropriation proves that coastal areas were prioritized to
the detriment of inland areas, since they have particular characteristics, such as
expressively flat morphology, which facilitate agricultural activities and community
settlement, and privileged location near the ocean, which provides them with better
circulation of goods between continents.
Taking into consideration that, in all peripheral colonial spaces, European colonizers arrived at the new territories by sea, it is understandable why coastal areas
were the first to establish population centers in developing countries. Thus, every
conquest flow started out at coastal centers and progressed towards inland regions.
This recurrent pattern of territorial conformation is described by Moraes (2007)
as occupation by drainage basin. This concept illustrates and confirms the existing
territorial organization, based on the drainage of natural resources that are then
taken to specific spaces in the Coastal Zone.
As urbanization processes advanced, these areas had their landscape reconfigured according to the growing needs of human beings, which increased the instability of natural systems and collaborated with the intensification of environmental
impacts and risk situations, which can be better described by Muehe (1995, p. 254):
Under the geomorphological point of view, the coastline is characterized by instability due
to changes caused by natural and anthropogenic effects, which result in changes in the
availability of sediments, in the wave climate and of relative sea level. The coastline and,
especially, the beaches respond with changes in form and deposition that may have undesirable economic consequences, when they result in the destruction of property or high costs,
in the attempt of stopping or delaying the geomorphological adjustment process […]
The increase in urban agglomerations is a current trend in global urban development. This has been particularly significant throughout coastal wetlands, due to the
advantages in location for industrial and commercial activities. Currently, over 50%
of the world’s population lives up to 100 km from the coastline and eight of the ten
largest urban agglomerations in the world are within the coastal region (Chhabra
and Geist 2006), with high growth rates when compared to other countries, and with
a tendency to rise up to 75% by the year 2020 (Charlier and Bologa 2003).
The interaction between natural processes and the various human activities is
growing in coastal wetlands, which are considered transition areas between land
and sea. The growth in the number and size of coastal cities in countries of peripheral economy has caused intense changes in the dynamics of environmental systems. These agitations have been accelerating the results of environmental changes,
which, among many other consequences, promote alterations in the behavior and
frequency of extreme events.
S.O. Souza et al.