Planning and Management of Coastal Buffer Zones in Taiwan

Abstract

Overuse of coastal regions may lead to coastal erosion and shoreline retreat, threatening the inherent life and property of the coast. This is because typhoon waves with storm surges frequently attack overdeveloped coasts and related structures. In the present study, coastal buffer and protection zones were defined for the management of coastal disasters. The coastal buffer zone may offer remarkable advantages to avoid improper coastal use and limit the impact of extreme events by reducing erosion, mitigating coastal disasters, improving water quality, expanding habitats, and minimizing coastal degradation. Further, factors affecting the establishment of coastal buffer zones were classified according to natural and anthropogenic characteristics. Moreover, regarding the direction of research into coastal buffer zones, themes and countermeasures for coastal buffer zone management were discussed from the perspectives of technology, planning, and management policies. Finally, the application of numerical models to assess the impact factors in coastal buffer zones are proposed.