The coastal area between Ovar and Marinha Grande is one of the biggest challenges of the national coastline in terms of integrated management of resources and minimizing risks due to the ecological richness of this territory, high population density and strong geological fragility that, combined with a sea agitation of wide direction and high-energy, results in one of the most highly severe erosion process of the European coastline.

Approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers n.º 142/2000 of 20 October, the Ovar - Marinha Grande Coastal Zone Management Plan (POOC) currently has several gaps resultant from changes occurred on the reference situation in which the planning model proposed was based on, particularly with regard to the forecast on the coastline evolution and the values of the curves of erosion.

On the other hand, the overall assessment of the coastal zone management plans, conducted in 2006, found several situations that justify the review of these instruments, including: the obsolescence of proposals, the unequal treatment between land and sea areas, the occurrence of cartographic deficiencies, the stiffness of the beach plans, the inadequacy of the design of support structures to beach activities, the non-implementation of the defined UOPG (Operative Units for Planning and Management).

Looking for implementing the National Strategy for the Coastal Zone Integrated Management, the new version of Ovar - Marinha Grande POOC will be the first coastal zone management plan of the 2nd generation.