Environmental Impact Assessment: Cabo de Gata Case Study

Posted on Feb 2, 2025 in Geology

Question 2: Environmental Impact Assessment of Algarrobico Beach

Location: Algarrobico Beach, Cabo de Gata Natural Park (Almería)

a) Description of Environmental Impact

The image depicts the bottom of the blade at Algarrobico Beach, located within the Cabo de Gata Natural Park in Almería. The photograph reveals a significant environmental impact, primarily a visual and landscape impact, which is negative and partly reversible. This impact stems from a change in land use, transitioning from a protected landscape to an area occupied by construction services.

Two key features of this environmental impact assessment are:

  • Type of Impact: Visual and landscape
  • Reversibility: Partially reversible

When analyzing the landscape, we can identify several components:

  • Natural Components (Abiotic):
    • The sea
    • The topography of the coastal zone (Sierra de Gata)
    • Rocks
    • Beach
    • Predominance of clear skies and light
  • Natural Components (Biotic):
    • Shrub vegetation
  • Visual Elements:
    • Color and contrast (light sand, dark mountains)
    • Shape (horizontal on the beach and vertical in the mountain)
    • Texture (medium grain, medium density, and regularity)
    • Spatial arrangement or scene (dominated by the presence of the hotel in the foreground)

b) Visual Fragility of the Landscape

Visual fragility refers to the landscape’s susceptibility to deterioration in its aesthetic aspects due to its intended use. In this case, the landscape of Algarrobico Beach exhibits high fragility and low visual absorption capacity.

Factors influencing visual fragility include:

  • Topography: Flat areas like the beach and steep hillsides increase fragility.
  • Geomorphology: The shape and structure of the landforms contribute to fragility.
  • Vegetation: Height, density, and coverage of vegetation impact fragility; a more visible landscape is more fragile.
  • Viewshed: Areas visible from multiple points are more fragile.
Increasing Visual Fragility

Actions that would increase the visual fragility of this landscape include:

  • Introduction of straight lines and geometric shapes (e.g., further construction).
  • Introduction of new colors that contrast unnaturally with the environment (e.g., brightly colored buildings).
  • Alterations to the relief, such as withdrawing or depositing materials.
  • Incorporation of artificial elements or a high volume of waste accumulation.
Decreasing Visual Fragility

Conversely, actions that would reduce visual fragility include:

  • Preservation of the soil layer, minimizing damage to the existing vegetation.
  • Reconstruction of the original topography.
  • Integration of any necessary structures into the landscape, or hiding discordant elements.

c) Environmental Impact Assessment Matrix

An environmental impact assessment matrix, such as the “Leopold Matrix,” is a cause-effect matrix with a double-entry system. The columns represent the actions that can alter the environment (causes), while the rows represent the environmental factors that can be altered or affected (characteristics of the environment).

The assessment can be:

  • Qualitative: Simply identifying the impacts.
  • Quantitative: Like the Leopold Matrix, which includes an assessment of each potential impact using magnitude and importance parameters.