MEDAM is the sister website of MEDAMP, the observatory of the protection of biodiversity : www.medamp.org
Any quotation or use of elements of this data management system should be mentioned as "MEDAM Université Côte d'Azur CNRS ECOSEAS"

CONSTRUCTION AND REDEVELOPMENT ON AREAS RECLAIMED FROM THE SEA GREATER THAN 100 m²

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The characteristics of the redevelopments considered have been specified on the Home Page under the heading « See the definitions and characteristics of these types of reclamations ».

The total number of reclamations from the sea for the whole of the French Mediterranean coast is 1 093.

The number is 11 for the coast of Monaco and 114 for the coast of the Etang de Berre (or 1 218 for the whole of the coast included in MEDAM).
The distribution of these reclamations and therefore of the resulting impact is very unequal from region to region. The total number of reclamations from the sea for the continental French Mediterranean coast (not including Monaco or Berre) is 989 (= PACA without Berre + Languedoc Roussillon), including :
 - 694 for the coast of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (not including Monaco or Berre),
 - 295 for the coast of Languedoc Roussillon.
The number is 104 for the coast of Corsica.
Among all the reclamations from the sea on the French Mediterranean (1 093 – not including Monaco or Berre), we have identified:
 - 147 harbours,
 - 85 ports of refuge,
 - 174 landfills,
 - 109 artificial horseshoe-shaped beaches,
 - 447 jetties,
 - 49 pontoons,
 - 37 river-mouth dykes.
The numbers of reclamations from the sea by county (département), by urban or rural district (commune) or by ECD water mass are available in the « numerical data ».
The characteristics of each reclamation are given under the heading « reclamations ».

PHOTOS

An image data base has been developed in order to present visually the changes in the coastline at the sites of reclamation redevelopment schemes.

 

1628 photographs are available at this site, with ongoing updating of the image bank. The photographs may be recent or more historical (views of the coast prior to reclamation have been sought). Some are photographs taken from the air others at ground level (sea or land).

 

The images made available are of low resolution. The photographers are cited and may in some cases be contacted by e-mail (list of photographers). Any new photos or similar documents are welcome: contact us to upload them ! (aims, procedure, conditions)

 

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CARTOGRAPHY

Access the cartographical data base to view the contour lines of all the reclamations and the contours of all the bathymetric and administrative limits.

RECLAMATION SCHEMES

Access data on the characteristics, description, year of redevelopment, illustrations and localisation of each reclamation > 100 m².

HISTORICAL RECORD AND PATTERNS OF PROGRESSION

Access the historical record data base: the construction of each structure or part of a structure has been dated. This data provides the basis for showing on bar charts the progression over time of reclamations and their impact on the basis of administrative units (country, region, county ( département), municipal and rural district (commune) or ECD water mass).

THE RECORD

For all French Mediterranean coasts (excluding Monaco and the Etang de Berre) (see ‘details’ for noteworthy regional or more local particularities).


MEDAM Inventory :

Original coastline : 2 062 km (> see details)

Surface area of shallow water bottoms prior to any reclamation (> see details) :

Between 0 and -10 m : 80 723 ha soit 807 km²

Between -10 m and -20 m : 88 046 ha soit 880 km²

Between 0 and -20 m : 168 769 ha soit 1 688 km²
Between -20 and -50 m : 330 030 ha soit 3 300 km²

 

Number of reclamations (>100 m²) : 1 050 (> see details)

 

Coastline ‘artificialised’ by reclamation : 223.02 km (> see details)

Surface areas reclaimed by these redevelopments (> see details) :

Between 0 et -10 m : 4 226.13 ha

Between -10 m et -20 m : 903.70 ha

Between 0 et -20 m : 5 129.83 ha

 

MEDAM Impacts :

Rate of ‘artificialisation’ of coastline (linear) : 12.27 % (> see details)

Rate of irreversible destruction of shallow water bottoms by reclamation (> see details) :

Between 0 et -10 m : 5.24 % 

Between -10 m et -20 m : 1.03 % 

Between 0 et -20 m : 3.04 %

 

Progression :
A step in the right direction: a clear slowing down of reclamation from 1985  (> see details).

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