Public perceptions of beach nourishment and conflict management strategies: A case study of Portonovo Bay in the Adriatic Italian Coast

Conflicting interests, goals, and value often shape the stakeholders' positions concerning coastal erosion management strategies. Analyses of stakeholders' perceptions of beach nourishment and conflict management strategies are lacking. Since the involvement of key stakeholders is crucial to ensure successful integrated coastal management, the aim of the current study was to investigate the stakeholders’ perceptions of beach nourishment and conflict management strategies in the community of the Portonovo Bay in the Adriatic Italian coast. During 2013, detailed, semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the community and stakeholders regarding beach nourishment and related conflict management strategies at Portonovo Bay. The results revealed that respondents not only reported different perceptions, values, and interests but also their main goals were dissimilar. We found polarized opinions concerning antagonistic value systems shared by the participants, which were associated with quite opposed perceptions of existence and severity of the problem and efficacy and harmfulness of beach nourishment. The perceptions of the respondents were categorized into two major categories that reflect two of the philosophical views of the human-environment relationship: ecocentrism versus anthropocentrism. Four categories of proposed conflict resolution strategies were identified: (a) information, (b) dialogue and contact, (c) compromise, and (d) no solution. The adoption of a participatory approach and the implementation of conflict management skills and technique can be considered important elements of coastal management.