This study assessed coastal vulnerability to erosion processes along a 24-
km-long littoral with different levels of human occupation. An aerial photogram-
metric flight and a Quickbird satellite image were used for mapping land uses
and reconstructing coastal evolution from 1986 to 2003. Maximum erosion (-
2.48 myr−1) was recorded south of Marina Kabila port and maximum accretion
(+2.25 myr−1) south of Marina Smir port. Erosion/accretion rates have been
divided into five categories and land uses have been mapped and divided into
three categories. Coastal vulnerability has been assessed by combining coastal
trend with land-use categories: 10% of the littoral recorded “very high” vulner-
ability, 29% recorded “high” vulnerability, and 61% of the investigated littoral
presented “null” and “low” vulnerability. The “Imminent Collapse Zone”, i.e.
the littoral zone threatened by imminent erosion, presented mean values of 10.34
m, with maximum and minimum values of 15.3 and 7.6 m, respectively. Several
human structures and activities are located within the imminent collapse zone
and consequently will be threatened by severe erosion in near future
