The Necessity of Coastal Management in Busan considering Human and Natural Conditions: The Case of the Barrier Islands in the Nakdong River Estuary

The Busan coasts have complex natural and human conditions including dynamic coastal, river processes and human activities. These complex natural and human factors have had direct and indirect impacts on the coastal areas of Busan, so a spatially integrated approach for management is required. Especially, the barrier islands located in the Nakdong River estuary are proper examples that show the effect of the sediment budget as natural and human conditions. This research aims to identify the effects of natural and human conditions on the barrier islands. The area of the barrier islands, sediment budget from the watershed, the amount of dredging at Nakdong-Estuarine-Dam and land use coverage were compared using correlation analysis. The more sediment eroded from watershed and the less sediment was dredged at Nakdong-Estuarine-Dam, the larger area of the barrier islands. This indicates that boundary conditions such as the supply of sediment from the rivers are related to the barrier islands; thus river and watershed management are important. Regarding land use, used and barren areas are positively correlated with the barrier islands, but water, forests and agricultural lands are negatively correlated. Internal factors within Busan, such as coastal modifications and urban growth, are affecting coastal dynamics, which change the sediment budget. These results show that the barrier islands sensitively respond to boundary conditions from the river and watershed and to internal conditions such as shoreline management and development. Therefore, for the effective management of Busan's coasts, it is necessary to consider how natural and human conditions interact spatially.