Kuzeydoğu Akdeniz Mersin ve İskenderun körfezleri için kıyısal kırılganlık değerlendirmesi

Coasts are sensitive and dynamic areas against natural influences such as waves, winds, currents, and tides. Pressure of human activities also accelerate the change of coasts. Climate change and global sea level rise are other factors affecting the coasts. Therefore, the identification and protection of coasts, which are important in terms of socio-economically and natural environment, becomes an important issue. One of the main purposes of this study is to classify Mersin and İskenderun bays coasts according to their vulnerability to natural forces and anthropogenic factors using the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) methods. In this study, five different CVI methods are used to evaluate the vulnerability of coasts. To easily adapt all these method a Geographic Informations System (GIS) tool has been developed. This GIS tool will facilitate researchers for CVI calculations. In addition, this tool will help decision makers to take the necessary precautions to protect coasts and to increase their resistance to natural and human effects on the coasts. According to the coastal vulnerability analyses, 151 km of the coastal zone is classified as very high vulnerable, 147 km as high vulnerable, 153 km as moderate vulnerable and 138 km as low vulnerable. In this study, the main parameters to affect the vulnerability are the coastal slope, land-use and population. High and very high vulnerable coasts occurred in coastal plains with low slope, weak geological and geomorphlogical structures, high socio-economic values. These high and very high vulnerable coasts are mainly located between Silifke and Yumurtalık coasts.