Setback distance between coastal cities and wetlands to protect waterbirds

Context Increasing pressure caused by human activities and environmental degradation in coastal zones has had significant impacts on coastal systems, and urgent attention is required in many coastal areas globally. To improve the management of coastal ecosystems and resources,many countries and regions are performingpractical researchon coastal development setback guidelines. However, most guideline distances have been developed based on normative studies rather than natural science research methods. Objectives In this study, a simple method of assessing the appropriate coastal setback distance for coastal urban construction was developed. Methods Three methods are considered, namely, setback distances based on pollution, flush distance, and noise attenuation distance, and we attempted to achieve congruency among these methods. Thus, the final setback distance should be based on an integration of all three estimated values. Results However, conflicts were observed in the setback distances based on the three factors, and we integrated and considered the recommended values of different algorithms to reach a consensus. Under these principles, an overlap range from 350 to 714 m was suggested as a setback distance. Conclusions Our recommended values fell into the range of setback distances used by current methods and were outcomes of quantitative research. This recommended range was obtained under ideal conditions. Given the complexities of formulating technical guidelines and planning construction setback lines, the recommended range can only be used as a reference.