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Coastal hazards

About: Coastal hazards is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1715 publications have been published within this topic receiving 36233 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
11 Mar 2015-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: This work combines spatially explicit estimates of the baseline population with demographic data in order to derive scenario-driven projections of coastal population development and highlights countries and regions with a high degree of exposure to coastal flooding and help identifying regions where policies and adaptive planning for building resilient coastal communities are not only desirable but essential.
Abstract: Coastal zones are exposed to a range of coastal hazards including sea-level rise with its related effects. At the same time, they are more densely populated than the hinterland and exhibit higher rates of population growth and urbanisation. As this trend is expected to continue into the future, we investigate how coastal populations will be affected by such impacts at global and regional scales by the years 2030 and 2060. Starting from baseline population estimates for the year 2000, we assess future population change in the low-elevation coastal zone and trends in exposure to 100-year coastal floods based on four different sea-level and socio-economic scenarios. Our method accounts for differential growth of coastal areas against the land-locked hinterland and for trends of urbanisation and expansive urban growth, as currently observed, but does not explicitly consider possible displacement or out-migration due to factors such as sea-level rise. We combine spatially explicit estimates of the baseline population with demographic data in order to derive scenario-driven projections of coastal population development. Our scenarios show that the number of people living in the low-elevation coastal zone, as well as the number of people exposed to flooding from 1-in-100 year storm surge events, is highest in Asia. China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Viet Nam are estimated to have the highest total coastal population exposure in the baseline year and this ranking is expected to remain largely unchanged in the future. However, Africa is expected to experience the highest rates of population growth and urbanisation in the coastal zone, particularly in Egypt and sub-Saharan countries in Western and Eastern Africa. The results highlight countries and regions with a high degree of exposure to coastal flooding and help identifying regions where policies and adaptive planning for building resilient coastal communities are not only desirable but essential. Furthermore, we identify needs for further research and scope for improvement in this kind of scenario-based exposure analysis.

1,604 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, the authors combine the updated Gridded Population of the World (GPW2) population distribution estimate for 1990 and lighted settlement imagery with a global digital elevation model (DEM) and a high resolution vector coastline.
Abstract: Recent improvements in mapping of global population distribution makes it possible to estimate the number and distribution of people near coasts with greater accuracy than previously possible, and hence consider the potential exposure of these populations to coastal hazards. In this paper, we combine the updated Gridded Population of the World (GPW2) population distribution estimate for 1990 and lighted settlement imagery with a global digital elevation model (DEM) and a high resolution vector coastline. This produces bivariate distributions of population, lighted settlements and land area as functions of elevation and coastal proximity. The near-coastal population within 100 km of a shoreline and 100 m of sea level was estimated as 1.2 X 10(9) people with average densities nearly 3 times higher than the global average density. Within the near coastal-zone, the average population density diminishes more rapidly with elevation than with distance, while the opposite is true of lighted settlements. Lighted settlements are concentrated within 5 km of coastlines worldwide, whereas average population densities are higher at elevations below 20 m throughout the 100 km width of the near-coastal zone. Presently most of the near-coastal population live in relatively densely-populated rural areas and small to medium cities, rather than in large cities. A range of improvements are required to define a better baseline and scenarios for policy analysis. Improving the resolution of the underlying population data is a priority.

1,404 citations

Book
23 Dec 1991
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the nature of hazards in the environment, complexity, sustainability, and vulnerability of the environment to disasters, as well as the experience and reduction of hazards.
Abstract: Part One: The Nature of Hazard 1. Hazard in the Environment 2. Dimensions of Disaster 3. Complexity, Sustainability and Vulnerability 4. Risk Assessment and Management 5. Reducing the Impacts of Disaster Part Two: The Experience and Reduction of Hazard 6. Tectonic Hazards - Earthquakes and Tsunamis 7. Tectonic Hazards - Volcanoes 8. Landslide and Avalanche Hazards 9. Severe Storm Hazards 10. Weather Extremes, Disease Epidemics and Wildfires 11. Hydrological Hazards - Floods 12. Hydrological Hazards - Droughts 13. Technological Hazards 14. Environmental Hazards in a Changing World Bibliography Index

876 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors calculate a hazard index for every 1 km 2 of the United States coastline and use this index to identify the most vulnerable people and property as indicated by being in the upper quartile of hazard for the nation's coastline.
Abstract: Extreme weather, sea-level rise and degraded coastal ecosystems are placing people and property at greater risk of damage from coastal hazards 1‐5 . The likelihood and magnitude of losses may be reduced by intact reefs and coastal vegetation 1 , especially when those habitats fringe vulnerable communities and infrastructure. Using five sea-level-rise scenarios, we calculate a hazard index for every 1 km 2 of the United States coastline. We use this index to identify the most vulnerable people and property as indicated by being in the upper quartile of hazard for the nation’s coastline. The number of people, poor families, elderly and total value of residential property that are most exposed to hazards can be reduced by half if existing coastal habitats remain fully intact. Coastal habitats defend the greatest number of people and total property value in Florida, New York and California. Our analyses deliver the first national map of risk reduction owing to natural habitats and indicates where conservation and restoration of reefs and vegetation have the greatest potential to protect coastal communities. Globally, coastal flooding and sea level are expected to increase significantly by mid-century, with potentially severe consequences for coastal populations around the world 6 . In the United States

601 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that coral reefs can provide comparable wave attenuation benefits to artificial defences such as breakwaters, and reef defences can be enhanced cost effectively.
Abstract: The world’s coastal zones are experiencing rapid development and an increase in storms and flooding. These hazards put coastal communities at heightened risk, which may increase with habitat loss. Here we analyse globally the role and cost effectiveness of coral reefs in risk reduction. Meta-analyses reveal that coral reefs provide substantial protection against natural hazards by reducing wave energy by an average of 97%. Reef crests alone dissipate most of this energy (86%). There are 100 million or more people who may receive risk reduction benefits from reefs or bear hazard mitigation and adaptation costs if reefs are degraded. We show that coral reefs can provide comparable wave attenuation benefits to artificial defences such as breakwaters, and reef defences can be enhanced cost effectively. Reefs face growing threats yet there is opportunity to guide adaptation and hazard mitigation investments towards reef restoration to strengthen this first line of coastal defence.

590 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202339
202257
202198
202084
201987
201883