THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM THE HARBOUR CONSTRUCTIONS BETWEEN THE PREVEZA AND KASTROSIKIA (GREECE) Α. Mertzanis 1 , A. Papadopoulos 1 , A. Pantera 1 , G. Efthimiou. 2 and E. Koutseris 3 1 Technological Educational Institute of Lamia, Forestry and Natural Resources Management Department, 36100, Karpenisi, Greece, amertzanis@teilam.gr 2 Technological Educational Institute of Larissa, Forestry and Natural Resources Management Department, 34100, Karditsa, Greece 3 University University of Thessaly, Department of Planning and Regional Development, 38334 Volos, Greece. ABSTRACT The presence of erosion phenomena in the coasts, and the general environmental destabilization of the coastal zone, constitutes a common factor for at least extended parts of the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. This situation is becoming worse in the last decades, and is mainly due to the construction of projects along the coasts, without taking the necessary precautions for the preservation of the balance of the coastal zone and the necessary measures to avert the destabilization phenomena. The main reason for the destabilization of the balance of the area and especially of the part that extends between the town of Preveza and Kastrosikia in Ipiros, lies mainly in the intense exploitation of the coasts of the Ionian sea for tourist purposes, together with the infrastructure works (such as fishing harborage for the mooring of fishing boats, the immersed tunnel of Preveza – Aktio) and the coastal protective groins, that were built in the area. The object of this present study is to determine the human interventions, which are responsible for the destabilization of the balance of the coastal zone in the study area. 1. INTRODUCTION The intensiveness with which the natural resources and especially the coastal areas are exploited is in many cases also related to the construction and operation of harbor works, swimming and sports facilitaties, as well as with constructions for the protection against erosion phenomena of the coast, and all the abovementioned constitute the most significant burden to the geomorphology of the coastal zone. The size and the type of those changes that are seen in the coastal environment and especially in the geomorphological activities and in the geomorphological structure, the distribution of the deposits and in the sea resources, as a result of the constructions of this kind of «development projects», are directly correlated with the oceanographic, geological, hydrological, geomorphological, geotechnical and climatic conditions of the area, as well as with the specific characteristics of the construction, mainly its location as well as its shape and size and the type of its foundation.