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Coastline artificialization and land use changes in coastal cities: Implications for coastal management in Noumea (New-Caledonia)

The 160 km length coast of the Noumea peninsula (New Caledonia, South-Pacific) is constituted by successive bays of various natures: beaches, cliffs, mangroves and artificial segments. This coast has known profound changes in past decades, in relation with the economic development linked to the presence of the American army during the Second World War and to the “nickel boom” between 1970 and 1975. Growing urbanization and therefore the artificialization of the coastline stems from these two prosperous periods. Indeed, it is at this time that the embankments, the only possibilities of extension of this territory, have developed considerably. The work carried out consisted in retracing the position of the coastline, the coastline nature changes and in characterizing and quantifying the evolution of the land use of the coastal strip from 1935 to 2016. This study shows: A very strong artificialization of the coastline, particularly during the 1954-1985 period. The evolution of land use during this same period shows a very strong expansion of urban (built and urban fabric) and artificialized areas (trade area, communication routes and harbour area) especially at the expense of forests; The surface of embankments increased very strongly between 1954 and 2016. Between 1954 and 1985, their area increased by a 9.4 factor and between 1985 and 2016 by a 1.3 factor. These embankments are responsible for spectacular advance of the coastline in the concerned sectors; The backfills have largely participated in the modification of the coast by closing some bays and decreasing or even annihilating some inter-bay connections. The modifications of the hydro-sedimentary exchanges induced have very likely consequences on the physical functioning and the current dynamics of the littoral, on the water quality and on the ecosystems. This inheritance induced by human actions will have to be taken into account when making decisions concerning the management of the Noumea coastal area.