Defining and Adapting to Coastal Hazards in Atlantic Canada: Facing the Challenge of Rising Sea Levels, Storm Surges, and Shoreline Erosion in a Changing Climate

The mainland coast of China is about 18,000 km long and houses about 70% of China’s largest cities and 50% of its population. For the last few decades, the rapid growth of the Chinese economy has resulted in extensive development of the coastal infrastructure and property, large-scale expansion of coastal ports, excessive reclamation of coastal land, and a significant increase in the coastal population. Previous studies have indicated that tropical cyclones (TCs) have struck the coast of China at a higher frequency and intensity, and TC-induced coastal hazards have resulted in heavy human losses and huge losses to the Chinese coastal economy. In analyzing the long-term and most recent coastal hazard data collected on the coast of China, this study has found that TC-induced storm surges are responsible for 88% of the direct coastal economic losses, while TC-induced large coastal waves have caused heavy loss of human lives, and that the hazard-caused losses are shown to increase spatially from the north to south, peak in the southern coastal sector, and well correlate to storm wave energy flux. The frequency and intensity of coastal hazards on the coast of China are expected to increase in response to future changing TC conditions and rising sea levels. A simple two-parameter conceptual model is also presented for the assessment of coastal inundation and erosion hazards on the coast of China.

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Effects of climate change on spatiotemporal patterns of tropical cyclone tracks and their implications for coastal agriculture in Myanmar

Paddy and Water Environment ◽

10.1007/s10333-021-00842-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Akira Hirano

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Warming ◽

Considerable Increase ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Rising Sea Levels

AbstractImportant aspects for understanding the effects of climate change on tropical cyclones (TCs) are the frequency of TCs and their tracking patterns. Coastal areas are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and associated storm surges brought on by TCs. Rice production in Myanmar relies strongly on low-lying coastal areas. This study aims to provide insights into the effects of global warming on TCs and the implications for sustainable development in vulnerable coastal areas in Myanmar. Using TC records from the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship dataset during the 30-year period from 1983 to 2012, a hot spot analysis based on Getis-Ord (Gi*) statistics was conducted to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of TC tracks along the coast of Myanmar. The results revealed notable changes in some areas along the central to southern coasts during the study period. These included a considerable increase in TC tracks (p value < 0.01) near the Ayeyarwady Delta coast, otherwise known as “the rice bowl” of the nation. This finding aligns with trends in published studies and reinforced the observed trends with spatial statistics. With the intensification of TCs due to global warming, such a significant increase in TC experiences near the major rice-producing coastal region raises concerns about future agricultural sustainability.

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COASTAL RESILIENCY APPROACHES

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v36v.management.33 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Paul Tschirky

Keyword(s):

Coastal Engineering ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Natural Systems ◽

Changing Climate ◽

Coastal Population ◽

Key Players ◽

Climate Patterns ◽

Rising Sea Levels

Our environment has been experiencing changes in climate patterns in ways that were not anticipated by past designs. Coastal engineers are increasing at the center of complex multidisciplinary projects. With changing climate, rising sea levels, and growing coastal population centers, coastal engineers are key players in developing solutions for both built infrastructure and natural systems. This presentation will discuss the challenges to coastal engineering and examine some coastal resiliency approaches on recent projects and experiences in the United States.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/prjG4LTU-iU

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Vulnerable Territories: The Perpetually Shifting Edge

10.26686/wgtn.17148857.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Joseph Wellwood

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Sense Of Place ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Adaptive Planning ◽

Coastal Community ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Community Model ◽

Rising Sea Levels ◽

Imminent Threat

New Zealand’s coastline is rapidly receding. The increased threat of rising sea levels continues to erode the shore line causing extensive and irreparable damage to thousands of coastal properties, often dismantling communities and the kiwi dream of living near the ocean. With global temperatures continuing to rise, all of our coastal communities are at risk. The current measure of response to this issue is through managed retreat, the removal and relocation of all ‘at risk’ buildings in coastal hazard zones. While this approach is successful in preserving the physical structures, it remains an undesirable solution that forces homeowners to abandon their community and the coastline for the safety of higher ground. The retreat is hampered among debate within the effected regions as the forced detachment of long standing communities often results in the loss of ‘sense of place’ that living within a coastal community enables. This thesis proposes that Haumoana in Hawkes Bay offers the fitting location to introduce an alternative coastal community model that actively responds to the impending hazards whilst retaining the societal poetics. Situated just south of the nearby communities of Te Awanga and Haumoana, two of the most at-risk coastal regions in New Zealand that are currently facing the prospect of dismantlement. The site was specifically chosen due to the fact that erosion is predicted to diminish half its usable land over the next century, this thesis will investigate the potential risks to the respective coastline, the role that this would play in an adaptive community, and the possible design options that can respond and enhance a future sustainable landscape. This thesis argues that a coastal community can be designed to actively adapt and respond to the threat of erosion rather than being dismantled through retreat; that by adopting design principles that protect the land on which they are placed, the coastal hazards of the region can be lessened; and that an adaptive community model can be achieved whilst retaining the ‘sense of place’ that coastal community’s exhibit. The thesis proposes that this can be achieved by incorporating and reinforcing natural features of the coast into the architectural design at various scales; accommodating for, and adapting to the imminent threat of erosion; and by invoking principles of sustainable design in company with adaptive planning and resilient design, thereby pushing the standards of coastal planning beyond typical practice.

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The Impact of Climate Change in the Modern Enterprise

International Journal of Knowledge Society Research ◽

10.4018/jksr.2011070103 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 26-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anastasios Danos ◽

Konstantina Boulouta

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Critical Infrastructure ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Weather Patterns ◽

Changing Climate ◽

Modern Enterprise ◽

The World ◽

Rising Sea Levels ◽

The Impact

This article analyses the profound and rapid climate changes that have taken place worldwide in the past two decades and their effects on modern enterprise. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing strategies to adapt to and counterbalance future impacts of climate change sustainably are among the most pressing needs of the world today. Global temperatures are predicted to continue rising, bringing changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Such climatic events can have a major impact on households, businesses, critical infrastructure and vulnerable sections of society, as well as having a major economic impact. Therefore, society must prepare to cope with living in a changing climate. The effects of a changing climate have considerable impacts on modern enterprises. In some parts of the world, these impacts are increasingly becoming evident.

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Socioeconomic and environmental predictors of estuarine shoreline hard armoring

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-52504-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicole E. Peterson ◽

Craig E. Landry ◽

Clark R. Alexander ◽

Kevin Samples ◽

Brian P. Bledsoe

Keyword(s):

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Environmental Predictors ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Shoreline Armoring ◽

Rising Sea Levels ◽

Estuarine Shoreline ◽

The Individual

Abstract Rising sea levels and growing coastal populations are intensifying interactions at the land-sea interface. To stabilize upland and protect human developments from coastal hazards, landowners commonly emplace hard armoring structures, such as bulkheads and revetments, along estuarine shorelines. The ecological and economic consequences of shoreline armoring have garnered significant attention; however, few studies have examined the extent of hard armoring or identified drivers of hard armoring patterns at the individual landowner level across large geographical areas. This study addresses this knowledge gap by using a fine-scale census of hard armoring along the entire Georgia U.S. estuarine coastline. We develop a parsimonious statistical model that accurately predicts the probability of armoring emplacement at the parcel level based on a set of environmental and socioeconomic variables. Several interacting influences contribute to patterns of shoreline armoring; in particular, shoreline slope and the presence of armoring on a neighboring parcel are strong predictors of armoring. The model also suggests that continued sea level rise and coastal population growth could trigger future increases in armoring, emphasizing the importance of considering dynamic patterns of armoring when evaluating the potential effects of sea level rise. For example, evolving distributions of armoring should be considered in predictions of future salt marsh migration. The modeling approach developed in this study is adaptable to assessing patterns of hard armoring in other regions. With improved understanding of hard armoring distributions, sea level rise response plans can be fully informed to design more efficient scenarios for both urban development and coastal ecosystems.

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Baltic Sea coastal erosion; a case study from the Jastrzębia Góra region

Geologos ◽

10.2478/logos-2014-0018 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 259-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Grzegorz Uścinowicz ◽

Regina Kramarska ◽

Dorota Kaulbarsz ◽

Leszek Jurys ◽

Jerzy Frydel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Storm Surges ◽

Hydrotechnical Construction ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Sea Levels ◽

General Importance ◽

Wave Effects ◽

Active Landslide ◽

Rising Sea Levels ◽

Remote Sensing Methods

Abstract The coastline in the Jastrzębia Góra area can be divided into three major zones of general importance: a beach and barrier section, a cliff section, and a section protected by a heavy hydrotechnical construction. These areas are characterised by a diverse geology and origin, and hence different vulnerability to erosion. In addition, observations have demonstrated a different pace of erosion within each zone. Based on the results obtained by remote sensing methods (analysis of aerial photographs and maps), it has been determined that the coastline in the barrier area, i.e., to the west of Jastrzębia Góra, moved landwards by about 130 m, in a period of 100 years, and 80 m over about 50 years. A smaller displacement of the shoreline could be observed within the cliff. Between the middle of the twentieth and the start of the twenty-first centuries the shore retreated by about 25 m. However, in recent years, an active landslide has led to the displacement of the uppermost part of the cliff locally up to 25 m. Another issue is, functioning since 2000, a heavy hydrotechnical construction which has been built in order to protect the most active part of the cliff. The construction is not stable and its western part, over a distance of 50 m, has moved almost 2 m vertically downwards and c. 2.5 m horizontally towards the sea in the past two years. This illustrates that the erosional factor does not comprise only marine abrasion, but also involves land-based processes determined by geology and hydrogeology. Changes in the shoreline at the beach and barrier part are constantly conditioned by rising sea levels, the slightly sloping profile of the sea floor and low elevation values of the backshore and dune areas. Cliffs are destroyed by mass wasting and repetitive storm surges that are responsible for the removal of the colluvium which protects the coast from adverse wave effects. Presumably, mass movements combined with groundwater outflow from the cliff, plus sea abrasion cause destabilisation of the cliff protection construction.

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Rising Seas: Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change

10.26686/wgtn.16715518 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Shivani Patel

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Management Practices ◽

New Technologies ◽

Global Climate ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Management Plan ◽

Integrated System ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Rising Sea Levels

Science tells us that we are close to the irreversible tipping point into an unknown climate of the Anthropocene in which humanity has no option but to adapt or to be destroyed. Human influence is changing the earth and a major factor is urbanisation. Cities are one of the largest contributors to global climate change. This thesis develops a design-led research methodology and approach that develops alternative, speculative landscape intervention strategies to bridge the gap between climate change science and the landscape and the residents of Island Bay, in the city of Wellington, New Zealand. This research aims to take full advantage of new technologies and systems to provide resilient social, ecological and physical solutions for the coastal neighbourhood in the face of climate-related change. These solutions form a comprehensive framework and tools that anticipate a foreseeable future of saturated landscapes. It is a strategy that builds the adaptive capacity of the coastal zone, enhances existing natural systems, accommodates a variety of best coastal management practices and integrates alternative concepts in the coastal neighbourhood adaptation management plan. These solutions address the unpredictable issue of rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal inundation. In addition, the approach fosters urban environment solutions at various scales, such what a property owner can do and what public/private cooperation can do. Overall, this new integrated system approach has the potential to recalibrate urban coastal environments, catalyse resiliency and provide a robust model for designing mitigative, adaptative coastal communities in response to rising sea-levels and to support a new set of relationships between nature and urbanity.

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A STUDY OF ADAPTATION CAPACITY OF COASTAL DISASTERS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN SOUTHWEST AREA OF TAIWAN

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v33.management.10 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1 (33) ◽

pp. 10

Author(s):

Hsiang-Lan Juan ◽

Tai-Wen Hsu ◽

Yuan-Jyh Lan ◽

Yue-Chen Lin ◽

Ching-Jer Huang

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Risk Estimation ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Coastal Environments ◽

Coastal Zones ◽

Situation Analysis ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Adaptation Capacity ◽

Southwestern Taiwan ◽

Rising Sea Levels

The adaptive capacity of coastal disasters caused by climate change in order to strengthen southwestern Taiwan against natural calamities in the future is investigated in this paper. In Taiwan, the coastal zone suffers from approximately four typhoons each year, and the exceptionally high sea levels caused by storm surges frequently results in coastal disasters and hinders the development of the coastal area. The problems of rising sea levels and frequent typhoons induced by climate change have threatened the Taiwanese coastal environments. These influences as well as serious land subsidence upon a scenario year were carried out in the coastal areas near the cities of Chiayi and Tainan in Taiwan. The present study focuses on the construction of the disaster characteristics on Chiayi and Tainan Coasts, model establishment for situation analysis of water environmental factors, impact estimation and indefinite analysis on disasters, and vulnerability and risk estimation of coastal disasters. An understanding of the marine and meteorological characteristics in coastal zones is conducive to raising the efficiency of the defense against coastal disasters. These results could provide useful information to establish strategies to implement as well as how to analyze the benefits of such a program.

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Climate Change and Atoll Island States: Pursuing a ‘Family Resemblance’ Account of Statehood

Leiden Journal of International Law ◽

10.1017/s0922156516000601 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 117-136

Author(s):

SUSANNAH WILLCOX

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Family Resemblance ◽

Resource Scarcity ◽

Alternative Account ◽

Unique Challenge ◽

Sea Levels ◽

Island States ◽

Family Resemblances ◽

Rising Sea Levels

Abstract‘Climate change inundation’ – the process whereby climate change-related impacts like rising sea levels, higher storm surges, and changing rainfall patterns interact with and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities like poverty, isolation, resource scarcity, and inadequate infrastructure – presents a unique challenge to the territorial, legal, and political infrastructure of low-lying coral atoll island states. This article uses the example of climate change inundation to illustrate some of the shortcomings of the mainstream ‘minimum threshold’ account of statehood. It then proposes an alternative account of the criteria of statehood as a set of overlapping similarities or relationships between state-like entities, drawing on Wittgenstein's concept of ‘family resemblances’. Although problematic in some respects, this family resemblance account provides a broader conceptual space for assessing the merits of alternative forms of statehood.

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