scholarly journals Sea Level Rise and Local Government

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa James ◽  
Catherine Iorns ◽  
Patrick Gerard

Local authorities in New Zealand have a significant responsibility to their communities for managing the effects of sea level rise due to climate change. However, while most local authorities are well engaged and have a clear understanding of issues arising from sea level rise, 73% report that their organisations do not receive enough direction from central government on how to respond. Territorial authorities in particular are seeking a stronger lead, such as legislative reform, clearer and more directive policy, clarification of responsibilities, or a national environmental standard on coastal hazard management. Central government direction is seen as critical to achieve a nationally consistent and equitable approach for coastal communities. This article summarises how this could be addressed, and identifies key challenges facing local government in adapting to sea level rise and climate change.

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1142
Author(s):  
Juliano Calil ◽  
Geraldine Fauville ◽  
Anna Carolina Muller Queiroz ◽  
Kelly L. Leo ◽  
Alyssa G. Newton Mann ◽  
...  

As coastal communities around the globe contend with the impacts of climate change including coastal hazards such as sea level rise and more frequent coastal storms, educating stakeholders and the general public has become essential in order to adapt to and mitigate these risks. Communicating SLR and other coastal risks is not a simple task. First, SLR is a phenomenon that is abstract as it is physically distant from many people; second, the rise of the sea is a slow and temporally distant process which makes this issue psychologically distant from our everyday life. Virtual reality (VR) simulations may offer a way to overcome some of these challenges, enabling users to learn key principles related to climate change and coastal risks in an immersive, interactive, and safe learning environment. This article first presents the literature on environmental issues communication and engagement; second, it introduces VR technology evolution and expands the discussion on VR application for environmental literacy. We then provide an account of how three coastal communities have used VR experiences developed by multidisciplinary teams—including residents—to support communication and community outreach focused on SLR and discuss their implications.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony George Puthucherril

Climate change and sea level rise are realities that are upon us and which will profoundly impact the lives and basic rights of millions of coastal residents all over the world. As the law stands both at the international and at certain national levels, the basic human rights of the climate displaced are not adequately protected. This paper identifies two possible displacement scenarios, based on the continued availability/non-availability of land in the face of sea level rise and other climate change impacts; namely, the sinking Small Island Developing States phenomeon, where land disappears and there is no surplus land to support habitation, and all other cases, where the coastal land is battered severely but it can be re-utilized through appropriate adaptation measures or even if coastal frontage land disappears there is still land available inland. On this basis, the paper proposes three possible solutions: (1) bilateral or regional treaties to facilitate resettlement of the inhabitants of sinking Small Island Developing States, (2) appropriate coastal climate change adaptation implemented via integrated coastal zone management and (3) creation of new arrangements under the international climate change regime to provide financial assistance and technological support to respond to both situations. Even though the primary focus of this paper is on coastal communities in South Asia, the lessons that it offers are relevant to other coastal contexts as well.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Dudley Tombs ◽  
Janet Stephenson ◽  
Ben France-Hudson ◽  
Elisabeth Ellis

Climate change will place increasing numbers of homeowners in ‘property purgatory’, a state of financial insecurity arising from the foreseeability of eventual damage and uncertainty about means to recover their losses. The impacts of climate change-induced sea level rise and storm events are now certain, and exposed properties will likely incur insurance, mortgage and value loss. These effects could occur prior to physical damage, and existing inequities will be magnified. Current legal and institutional arrangements offer no clear pathway for those affected to recover funds in order to relocate themselves. We position property purgatory as an immediate practical challenge for those affected seeking to recover their losses, and as a legal question regarding undefined responsibilities of central and local government.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malay Pramanik ◽  
Sylvia Szabo ◽  
Indrajit Pal ◽  
Parmeshwar Udmale

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong></p><p>Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century and is likely to increase migration of the marginal communities from the coastal areas throughout the world. It is projected that 200 million people worldwide will be climate refugees by 2050. Owing to high exposure and poor adaptive capacity, low-lying coastal areas and islands in developing countries are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how climate change is affecting the livelihoods, in turn, driving the migration in these regions.</p><p>The present study focuses on the Sundarbans region located along the coastal belt of West Bengal (India) as a part of Ganga-Brahmaputra mega delta. It is also a home of 4.7 million poor people, who earn below US$10 per month. The region is an exceedingly flat, low-lying, alluvial plain highly exposed to sea level rise, storm surge, tornedoes, cyclonic activity, riverbank erosion, salinization and subsequent mangrove depletion. Due to the climatic hazards, the basic livelihoods are at risk and their strategies towards livelihood collection remains largely unknown. Therefore, the present study provides insights into the nexus among climate stimuli, livelihood risks, and households’ strategies in the region, with special emphasize on climate change.</p><p>The study is based on field survey of 150 respondents representing migrant and non-migrant coastal communities from Gosaba, Basanti and Hingalganj block using structured questionnaires. More than 70% of respondents stated that livelihood risks mainly from climate change impacts as the major reason for inter-state migration, which is the main source of income supporting livelihood in the region. This environmental displacement in the Sundarbans region symbolizes the failure of adaptation to mitigate climate change induced sea level rise increasing the exposure to coastal flooding and storm surges, salinization, and erosion.  This study discusses potential mitigation strategies to combat the impacts of climate change on livelihoods of the coastal communities in the region.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Stephenson ◽  
Jule Barth ◽  
Sophie Bond ◽  
Gradon Diprose ◽  
Caroline Orchiston ◽  
...  

Many of New Zealand’s urban settlements are likely to be affected by climate-induced hazards such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, flooding and rising groundwater levels, and some are already being affected. These communities face many physical, social, financial and emotional challenges, and there is significant potential for inequitable outcomes. To ensure successful adaptation, local authorities will need to adopt new approaches to engaging with communities that are exposed to these hazards.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Stephenson ◽  
Jule Barth ◽  
Sophie Bond ◽  
Gradon Diprose ◽  
Caroline Orchiston ◽  
...  

Many of New Zealand’s urban settlements are likely to be affected by climate-induced hazards such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, flooding and rising groundwater levels, and some are already being affected. These communities face many physical, social, financial and emotional challenges, and there is significant potential for inequitable outcomes. To ensure successful adaptation, local authorities will need to adopt new approaches to engaging with communities that are exposed to these hazards.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Caleb Mensah Amos T. Kabo-bah Eric Mortey

The sea level is rising due to global warming in response, by and large, to anthropogenic activities. Coastal communities along the Gulf of Guinea are low lying which makes them more vulnerable to rising sea level. Due to the topography of the Gulf of Guinea, the coastal belt is a highly erosive sandy barrier system that is susceptible to flooding. In West Africa, highlyproductive ecosystem like mangroves, estuaries, and deltas, that form the vital socio-economic activities like trade, tourism, fisheries and industrial growth due to the oil and gas development are found in these coastal communities. Therefore, majority of the population in West Africa who live in these mega cities along the coast face possible threats. Thus, climate adaptation is the only option to address these future threats as reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other green house gases is not enough for now to prevent global warming which leads to sea level rise. Thus, this study seeks to investigate from other research works, how sea level rise has affected these coastal communities along the Gulf of Guinea and how the communities are adapting to these challenges to new ways of living. It concludes with a recommendation on a climate change based framework.


Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Chisholm ◽  
Tracey Talbot ◽  
William Appleby ◽  
Benita Tam ◽  
Robin Rong

A scientific scenario paper was prepared ahead of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) 2050 International Symposium to review and summarize possible weather-related and sea-level changes within the GOM as a result of climate change. It is projected that the GOM will experience warming temperatures, continued sea-level rise, and changes to storm characteristics and related elements such as precipitation and waves in the intermediate term, by approximately 2050. Coastal communities within the GOM region are particularly vulnerable to the anticipated impacts of climate change. This article aims to provide context on some of the consequential impacts that may occur from the changes projected within the area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Stephenson ◽  
Jule Barth ◽  
Sophie Bond ◽  
Gradon Diprose ◽  
Caroline Orchiston ◽  
...  

Many of New Zealand’s urban settlements are likely to be affected by climate-induced hazards such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, flooding and rising groundwater levels, and some are already being affected. These communities face many physical, social, financial and emotional challenges, and there is significant potential for inequitable outcomes. To ensure successful adaptation, local authorities will need to adopt new approaches to engaging with communities that are exposed to these hazards.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2347-2368 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Torresan ◽  
A. Critto ◽  
J. Rizzi ◽  
A. Marcomini

Abstract. Sea level rise, changes in storms and wave climate as a consequence of global climate change are expected to increase the size and magnitude of flooded and eroding coastal areas, thus having profound impacts on coastal communities and ecosystems. River deltas, beaches, estuaries and lagoons are considered particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, which should be studied at the regional/local scale. This paper presents a regional vulnerability assessment (RVA) methodology developed to analyse site-specific spatial information on coastal vulnerability to the envisaged effects of global climate change, and assist coastal communities in operational coastal management and conservation. The main aim of the RVA is to identify key vulnerable receptors (i.e. natural and human ecosystems) in the considered region and localize vulnerable hot spot areas, which could be considered as homogeneous geographic sites for the definition of adaptation strategies. The application of the RVA methodology is based on a heterogeneous subset of bio-geophysical and socio-economic vulnerability indicators (e.g. coastal topography, geomorphology, presence and distribution of vegetation cover, location of artificial protection), which are a measure of the potential harm from a range of climate-related impacts (e.g. sea level rise inundation, storm surge flooding, coastal erosion). Based on a system of numerical weights and scores, the RVA provides relative vulnerability maps that allow to prioritize more vulnerable areas and targets of different climate-related impacts in the examined region and to support the identification of suitable areas for human settlements, infrastructures and economic activities, providing a basis for coastal zoning and land use planning. The implementation, performance and results of the methodology for the coastal area of the North Adriatic Sea (Italy) are fully described in the paper.


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