Development of a method to measure the sustainability of coastal uses

Abstract

The concept of sustainability has been used in all aspects of our lives for more than thirty years. However, research and methods of measuring and scoring sustainability have been growing in recent years. In this study, we developed a method to measure the sustainability of coastal uses by the stepwise approach. We gave the answer to the question of "how to calculate score and percentage of sustainability of coastal uses by using the standard-criteria-indicator set?". We formulated the measurement of coastal sustainability and expressing descriptive information about the quantity of sustainability. We explained the implementation of the method we developed to calculate the sustainability score and percentage by using sample data. A method and process steps were established to measure the sustainability of uses in coastal areas. Thus, it was determined which coastal uses are more important and priority than others. A Five-point rating scale was defined for each indicator to be measurable. The sustainability rate was determined on the basis of criteria. The sustainability status of the uses in a coastal region has been provided to be traceable on a standard basis. As a result, the final sustainability score and rate gave us a tangible and measurable numerical value about how sustainable the coastal area is used.