A Waterfront View of Coastal Hazards: Contextualizing Relationships among Geographic Exposure, Shoreline Type, and Hazard Concerns among Coastal Residents

Coastal communities exist on the front lines of diverse natural hazards and the growing impacts of climate change. While traditional strategies for dealing with coastal hazards have often involved the hardening or armoring of shorelines, more recent research and practice have demonstrated the value and cost-effectiveness of “living shorelines” and other ecosystem-based strategies for coastal protection. To explore potential relationships among geographic exposure (waterfront vs. inland), shoreline condition (armored vs. natural), and hazard concerns, we surveyed 583 waterfront and inland residents in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We found that overall concern for coastal hazards was similar across waterfront and inland residents, as well as among residents with both armored and natural shorelines. However, concern for specific hazards differed across these groups. Waterfront residents were significantly more concerned about major hurricanes and erosion than inland residents. Conversely, inland residents were more concerned with drought and flooding than waterfront residents. Among waterfront residents, specific hazard concerns were similar between residents with natural and armored shorelines with two key exceptions. Residents with armored shorelines reported higher concern for erosion and sea level rise than residents with natural shorelines. Our results suggest that armored shorelines do not necessarily alleviate concerns about coastal hazards. In the context of balancing social and ecological objectives in addressing coastal hazards or adapting to climate change, understanding the perceptions and behaviors of coastal residents is essential for conserving and protecting coastal ecosystems along residential shorelines.

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Using Virtual Reality in Sea Level Rise Planning and Community Engagement—An Overview

Water ◽

10.3390/w13091142 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1142

Author(s):

Juliano Calil ◽

Geraldine Fauville ◽

Anna Carolina Muller Queiroz ◽

Kelly L. Leo ◽

Alyssa G. Newton Mann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Community Outreach ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Multidisciplinary Teams ◽

Simple Task ◽

Coastal Risks

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.

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Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Protect Avian Species in Coastal Communities in the Greater Niagara Region, Canada

Climate ◽

10.3390/cli9060091 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 91

Author(s):

Samantha Gauthier ◽

Bradley May ◽

Liette Vasseur

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Scientific Literature ◽

Specific Area ◽

Coastal Ecosystems ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Living Shorelines ◽

Human Wellbeing ◽

Living Shoreline

Coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and its effects may push coastal ecosystems to undergo irreversible changes. This is especially true for shorebirds with the loss of biodiversity and resource-rich habitats to rest, refuel, and breed. To protect these species, it is critical to conduct research related to nature-based Solutions (NbS). Through a scoping review of scientific literature, this paper initially identified 85 articles with various ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies that could help conserve shorebird populations and promote ecotourism. Of these 85 articles, 28 articles had EbA strategies that were examined, with some like coral reefs and mangroves eliminated as they were inappropriate for this region. The scoping review identified four major EbA strategies for the Greater Niagara Region with living shorelines and beach nourishment being the most suitable, especially when combined. These strategies were then evaluated against the eight core principles of nature-based solutions protecting shorebird as well as human wellbeing. Living shoreline strategy was the only one that met all eight NbS principles. As the coastline of the region greatly varies in substrate and development, further research will be needed to decide which EbA strategies would be appropriate for each specific area to ensure their efficacy.

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Resilience from coastal protection

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2014.0383 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 373 (2053) ◽

pp. 20140383 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lesley C. Ewing

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

San Francisco ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Community Safety ◽

Coastal Protection ◽

Shore Protection ◽

Coastal Community ◽

Effective Community ◽

Key Aspects

Coastal areas are important residential, commercial and industrial areas; but coastal hazards can pose significant threats to these areas. Shoreline/coastal protection elements, both built structures such as breakwaters, seawalls and revetments, as well as natural features such as beaches, reefs and wetlands, are regular features of a coastal community and are important for community safety and development. These protection structures provide a range of resilience to coastal communities. During and after disasters, they help to minimize damages and support recovery; during non-disaster times, the values from shoreline elements shift from the narrow focus on protection. Most coastal communities have limited land and resources and few can dedicate scarce resources solely for protection. Values from shore protection can and should expand to include environmental, economic and social/cultural values. This paper discusses the key aspects of shoreline protection that influence effective community resilience and protection from disasters. This paper also presents ways that the economic, environmental and social/cultural values of shore protection can be evaluated and quantified. It presents the Coastal Community Hazard Protection Resilience (CCHPR) Index for evaluating the resilience capacity to coastal communities from various protection schemes and demonstrates the use of this Index for an urban beach in San Francisco, CA, USA.

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CLIMATE CHANGE KEY-CHALLENGES IN COASTAL ENGINEERING

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v36.risk.33 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

IÃ±igo J. Losada ◽

Paula Camus ◽

Alexandra Toimil ◽

Antonio Espejo ◽

Cristina Izaguirre

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Coastal Engineering ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Engineering Practice ◽

Continuous Growth ◽

Leading Role ◽

Coastal Systems ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Coastal engineers play a leading role in assessing climate change impacts in coastal and low-lying areas and in the design and implementation of adaptation solutions to build resilient coastal systems. Given the continuous growth of coastal communities and assets along the world coastlines, the need to protect and preserve natural and socioeconomic coastal systems and the escalating impacts of climate change (Wong et al. 2014), there is an urgent demand by decision makers for coastal engineering practice dealing with risk assessment and adaptation under high levels of uncertainty.

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The role of ecosystems in coastal protection: Adapting to climate change and coastal hazards

Ocean & Coastal Management ◽

10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2013.09.007 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 90 ◽

pp. 50-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 204

Author(s):

Mark D. Spalding ◽

Susan Ruffo ◽

Carmen Lacambra ◽

Imèn Meliane ◽

Lynne Zeitlin Hale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Coastal Protection

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Climate Change – Livelihood – Migration Nexus: A Case Study from Sundarbans, India

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14256 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Malay Pramanik ◽

Sylvia Szabo ◽

Indrajit Pal ◽

Parmeshwar Udmale

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Poor People ◽

High Exposure ◽

Coastal Belt ◽

The Sundarbans ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract: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.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&#8217; strategies in the region, with special emphasize on climate change.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. &#160;This study discusses potential mitigation strategies to combat the impacts of climate change on livelihoods of the coastal communities in the region.

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Projected Impacts of Climate Change on the Physical and Biogeochemical Environment in Southeast Asian Seas

10.21203/rs.3.rs-552834/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Susan Kay ◽

Arlene L. Avillanosa ◽

Victoria V. Cheung ◽

Ngoc Hung Dao ◽

Benjamin J. Gonzales ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Environmental Change ◽

21St Century ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Small Scale ◽

Biogeochemical Model ◽

Temperature Changes ◽

Natural Systems ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract The seas of Southeast Asia are home to some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems and resources that support the livelihoods and wellbeing of millions of people. Climate change will bring temperature changes, acidification and other environmental change, with uncertain consequences for human and natural systems in the region. We present the first regional-scale projections of change in the marine environment up to the end of 21st century. A coupled physical-biogeochemical model with a resolution of 0.1° (approximately 11 km) was used to create projections of future environmental conditions under two greenhouse gas scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. These show a sea that is warming by 1.1–2.9°C through the 21st century, with surface pH falling by up to 0.02 and dissolved oxygen decreasing by 5 to 13 mmol m− 3. Changes for different parts of the region, including four sensitive coastal sites, are presented. The changes reach all parts of the water column and many places are projected to experience conditions well outside the range seen at the start of the century. Altered species distribution and damage to coral reefs resulting from this environmental change would have consequences for biodiversity, for the livelihoods of small-scale fishers and for the food security of coastal communities across the region. Projections of this type are a key tool for communities planning how they will adapt to the challenge of climate change.

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The capacity to adapt?: communities in a changing climate, environment, and economy on the northern Andaman coast of Thailand

10.31230/osf.io/kjfz2 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Nathan Bennett ◽

Philip Dearden ◽

Alin Kadfak

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Adaptive Capacity ◽

Environmental Degradation ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Multiple Scales ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Economic Opportunities ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

The health and productivity of marine ecosystems, habitats, and fisheries are deteriorating on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Because of their high dependence on natural resources and proximity to the ocean, coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to climate-induced changes in the marine environment. These communities must also adapt to the impacts of management interventions and conservation initiatives, including marine protected areas, which have livelihood implications. Further, communities on the Andaman coast are also experiencing a range of new economic opportunities associated in particular with tourism and agriculture. These complex and ongoing changes require integrated assessment of, and deliberate planning to increase, the adaptive capacity of communities so that they may respond to: (1) environmental degradation and fisheries declines through effective management interventions or conservation initiatives, (2) new economic opportunities to reduce dependence on fisheries, and (3) the increasing impacts of climate change. Our results are from a mixed methods study, which used surveys and interviews to examine multiple dimensions of the adaptive capacity of seven island communities near marine protected areas on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Results show that communities had low adaptive capacity with respect to environmental degradation and fisheries declines, and to management and conservation interventions, as well as uneven levels of adaptive capacity to economic opportunities. Though communities and households were experiencing the impacts of climate change, especially storm events, changing seasons and weather patterns, and erosion, they were reacting to these changes with limited knowledge of climate change per se. We recommend interventions, in the form of policies, programs, and actions, at multiple scales for increasing the adaptive capacity of Thailand’s coastal communities to change. The analytical and methodological approach used for examining adaptive capacity could be easily modified and applied to other contexts and locales.

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WAVE TRANSFORMATION WITHIN A CORAL REEF LAGOON SYSTEM, ERAKOR LAGOON, VANUATU

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v36v.waves.38 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 38

Author(s):

Gaelle Faivre ◽

Oriane Lagrabe ◽

Krishna Kotra ◽

Rodger Tomlinson ◽

Brendan Mackey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Coral Reef ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Wave Energy ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Wave Transformation ◽

Reef Lagoon ◽

Waves And Currents ◽

Coral Reef Lagoon

Coral reefs encircle most of the islands in Vanuatu and provide natural breakwaters for coastal communities by reducing wave energy arriving at the shoreline acting to control both inundation and erosion. Climate Change is projected to both exacerbate coastal hazards and endanger corals. The aim of this paper is to better understand the parameters that govern hydrodynamics on fringing reef systems. The interaction between the depth, waves and currents are studied from measurements conducted in Erakor lagoon, Vanuatu.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/mPrG6NWL4dM

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KAPASITAS ADAPTASI KOMUNITAS PESISIR PADA KONDISI RAWAN PANGAN AKIBAT PERUBAHAN IKLIM (KASUS SEBUAH KOMUNITAS NELAYAN DI JAWA BARAT)

Sodality Jurnal Sosiologi Pedesaan ◽

10.22500/sodality.v4i3.14736 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Nurmala K. Panjaitan ◽

Galuh Adriana ◽

Ratri Virianita ◽

Nanda Karlita ◽

Renita Intan Cahyani

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Focus Group ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Adaptive Capacity ◽

Sea Water ◽

Group Discussion ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Institutional Memory ◽

Innovative Learning ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

ABSTRACT Climate change provokes various problems on coastal community’s life such as reduction in the quantity and quality of the catch, sea-water flood, storms, tidal waves, and drought. Many impacts of climate change will not lead to the vulnerability of coastal communities when a community has sufficient adaptive capacity. The purpose of this study was to analyze the adaptive capacity of coastal communities to food insecurity as the impacts of climate change. Mix method approach such as survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observation was applied to collect the data. The unit analysis was community level (n = 100 poor fishery households, beneficiaries of government’s poor rice program). The adaptive capacity of communities to food insecurity is relatively low due to low institutional memory, unable to conduct innovative learning and especially the lack of connectedness with others outside the community. There is no Collective action to cope with food insecurity due to poverty, community’s culture and lack of local leadership. Keywords: Climate change, adaptive capacity, coastal community, food insecurityABSTRAK Perubahan iklim menimbulkan banyak masalah pada kehidupan komunitas pesisir seperti penurunan kualitas dan kuantitas tangkapan, rob, badai, gelombang pasang dan kekeringan. Berbagai dampak perubahan iklim tidak akan menyebabkan kerentanan komunitas pesisir bila komunitas itu mempunya kapasitas adaptasi yang memadai. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisa kapasitas adaptasi komunitas nelayan untuk melihat kesiapan komunitas dalam menghadapi kerawanan pangan akibat perubahan iklim. Pendekatan survei, wawancara mendalam, focus group discussion, dan observasi digunaan untuk mengumpulkan data. Unit analisa adalah pada tingkat masyarakat dengan sumber data 100 rumahtangga nelayan miskin yang merupakan penerima program raskin. Kapasitas adaptasi masyarakat terhadap kerawanan pangan tergolong rendah karena rendahnya institutional memory, tidak mampu melakukan innovative learning dan kurangnya connectedness terutama dengan pihak lain di luar komunitas. Aksi kolektif dari komunitas untuk mengatasi kerawanan pangan tidak ada yang disebabkan oleh kemiskinan,budaya komunitas dan kurang berfungsinya kepemimpinan lokal. Kata kunci: Perubahan iklim, kapasitas adaptasi, pantai komunitas, kerawanan pangan

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