Investigating temporal changes in coastal edge lines and ownership by remote sensing: The case of the Dörtyol district (Turkey)

Abstract

Coasts are spaces that have natural resources and host frequent human activities such as settlement, transportation, tourism, and trade. This is why coasts continue to deteriorate and change. There is a lot of legislation in Turkey about the protection and use of coastlines. Designating the coastal edge line and coastal planning are important procedures. In the identification of changes on the coast, aerial photographs and satellite images obtained at different times are frequently utilized. This way, destruction on the coast is easily revealed. These examinations guide official institutions regarding the protection-use balance, as well as the inspections and procedures that need to be carried out. In this study, the coastal areas of the Dörtyol district of the province of Hatay in the Gulf of İskenderun in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were investigated. Aerial photographs dated 1975 and 2011 and an orthophoto map dated 2015 were used in the analyses. Ownership analyses were carried out by comparing these photographs and maps to the approval coastal edge line points. Encroachments into the approved coastal edge line and local (plot-based) plan revisions were investigated. As a result of these examinations, the effects of changes in land use planning on ownership and the coastal edge line were revealed. Contributions will be made to the conduct of necessary interventions by sharing the results of this study with institutions responsible for preservation, planning, and inspection.