Beach drainage technologies for coastal landscape environmental recovery

The application of a beach drainage technology with the modern technique RSA (beach recovery and stabilization) is a valid method to contrast active erosion processes. The paper shows better results obtained especially where still exists a minimal river sediment supply, through cases study of some Italy's littorals. The technology is based on the constant drainage of the watertable present in the foreshore sand deposits, brought from the waves, by pierced pipes buried in parallel to the shoreline. This system concurs moreover to monitoring amount and quality of drained sea water and to use as a reservoir for the littoral environment. After a detailed analysis of case studies, considerations are done about the potential effects of the technology for future scenarios: the specific reuse of drained sea water and the sustainable reconfiguration of the coast features.