Coastal scenery value determination

Scenery is a resource that has to be evaluated in an objective and quantitative manner to provide a means of comparison against other resource considerations and environmental impact assessments. Stakeholders survey specific littoral areas to determine the Scenic Evaluation, which indicates the ‘beauty’ of the study area. This is performed by using a coastal scenery survey checklist which itemizes 26 physical and human parameters, as a first step in quantifying scenery values.

  • Select and georeference the limits of the study area to replicate the survey in the future
  • Centralize information. There are often many people involved, multiple surveys, and lot of data, but just one previously-designated stakeholder is in charge of the analysis.
  • Organization - scheduling activities is important.
  • Data collection can complement a school class about coastal zone-related topics (geomorphology, geology, biology).
  • Data sources should be in a good balance. Local knowledge and stakeholder consultation are necessary.