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A Multi-scale coastal vulnerability index: A tool for coastal managers?
Abstract
Coastal hazard management involves the assessment of vulnerability in natural and human environments. Indices incorporating a diversity of indicators have therefore been used extensively to provide spatial analyses of the degree of vulnerability. Such indices are typically applied at global and national scales, and they involve varying degrees of simplification and aggregation of information. The degree of simplification that is desirable depends on the management scale, and higher resolution is required at the local compared to the global scale. To investigate the implications of spatial scale in depicting coastal hazard risk, coastal vulnerability indices were developed at national (Northern Ireland), local authority and site levels. Variables were separated into three sub-indices: a coastal characteristics sub-index concerned with the resilience and susceptibility of the coast to erosion, a coastal forcing sub-index to characterize the forcing variables contributing to wave-induced erosion and a socio-economic sub-index to assess the infrastructure potentially at risk. The three sub-indices were merged to calculate the overall index, which is portrayed in the form of colour-coded vulnerability maps. While a common tripartite index could be employed at national, regional and local scales, the nature of the data used to quantify many of the variables varies according to the scale of management. Some important local variations in vulnerability are masked by simplifications at the national scale. For some variables more detailed information is available as the spatial resolution of the study increases, while others become obsolete as data are of insufficient resolution to differentiate real variability at more detailed scales. The results highlight the importance of spatial scale in developing indices of vulnerability: while a common index architecture can be applied, the selection of variables must take account of the scale at which the hazard is to be assessed. It is likely that limits on index development will also be imposed by data availability at various scales.
... Similarly, in some European communities, researchers have evaluated socio-economic variables (Penning-Rowsell et al. 2011) to determine flood vulnerability, whereas in Belgium (Mees et al. 2018), researchers used an additional layer of flood risk maps on top of socio-economic vulnerability to identify flood-prone communities and modified variables from the social FVI developed by the British Flood Hazard Research Centre (Kirby et al. 2019). The greater the number of variables, the greater the accuracy of the final index values (McLaughlin et al. 2010) However, others caution about being extremely particular about selecting variables, since a mixture of factors is likely to have a significant correlation and influence the result (Balica-Wright 2009). The socio-economic position of the population, evaluation of the system's morphological alteration, and Assessment of regional flood vulnerability: a case of Kuttanad Wetland System, Kerala, India 975 ...
... airport runways with elevation less than 5m are more susceptible to both recurring and permanent flooding occurrences brought on by mean sea level rise and more powerful storm surges. Specified indices such as the Coastal Vulnerability Index for assessing vulnerability to sea level rise could also be utilized (McLaughlin et al. 2010). ICAO (2022) emphasizes the importance of collecting both environmental and asset data, accounting for cascading effects, and conducting supplemental analyses for specific vulnerabilities. ...
As environmental pressures increase globally, the need arises to understand and manage present and emerging environmental risks. The aim of this chapter is to introduce a new Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) approach to identify, assess, and report the level of environmental risks that can lead to significant interruptions, infrastructure damages, safety threats, and long-term effects on airport operations. ERA evaluates the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of environmental hazards, which involve physical, chemical, and biological factors that can imperil humans and infrastructure. The presented ERA framework is deployed in six phases, namely airport preparation, definition of the assessment scope and parameters, data collection and development of projection scenarios, risk assessment, mitigation and adaptation strategies, report, monitor, and review. In essence, the outlined ERA approach serves as a managerial tool to facilitate policy assessment and sustainable decision-making.
... Empirical, statistical (probabilistic), and modeling studies designed to couple storm impacts (drivers and forcings) to beach responses have advanced our understanding of coastal system dynamics and hazards, although inferences can differ depending on the specific storm metric(s) used and the coastal impact spatial scale examined. In some cases, these coupled dynamical studies have led to the development of hazard or storm erosion predictive indices (e.g., Thieler and Hammar-Klose, 1999;Stockdon et al., 2007;Mclaughlin and Cooper, 2010;Torresan et al., 2012;Birchler et al., 2015;Leaman et al., 2021;Ahmed et al., 2022, among many). Hamid et al. (2019) provide a review of these indices in three categories: (1) socioeconomic, (2) coastal characteristics, and (3) coastal forcing variables. ...
This study extracted historical water level data from 12 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration tide gauge stations, spanning the period from the early 20th century to 2022 from central Maine to southern Florida, in order to determine if temporal and spatial trends existed in the frequency and magnitude of storms along the US Atlantic Ocean coast. We used the Storm Erosion Potential Index (SEPI) to identify and quantify storms. We then use the timing and magnitude of those storms to determine the cumulative effect of storm clustering and large-magnitude storms on sandy beaches using the cumulative storm impact index (CSII) empirical model. The results from this study showed (1) no appreciable increase in storm frequency at any of the stations (except for sheltered stations susceptible to storm tide augmentation), (2) statistically significant but modest increases in storm magnitudes over time for 8 of the 12 tidal stations, (3) regional differences in storm magnitudes (SEPI) and cumulative storm impacts (CSII) characteristic of more frequent extratropical storms (temporal clustering) in the north and less frequent tropical storms in the south, and (4) a 4- to 10-year recovery period for regional beach recovery.
This study aims to standardize the flood susceptibility index based on parameters identified from past flood events. This study investigates the effectiveness of the SPRI method in case of using standardized parameters. The Source-Pathway-Receptor Index (SPRI) was developed by Sadeghi-Pouya et al. (2017) and tested in the Mazandaran region of Iran. This study investigates the effectiveness of the SPRI method when standardized parameters are used to evaluate a region’s flood susceptibility based on past flood events. To test the method’s effectiveness, it is applied in Vakfıkebir, Turkey, in the Trabzon province, which differs from the Mazandaran region of Iran in terms of morphometric characteristics and land use types. The aim is to test the effectiveness of the method in different fields of study and to explore the possibility of standardization when appropriate revision criteria are used for SPRI, without selecting regions with the same characteristics.The reason for not selecting an area with identical characteristics is to test the effectiveness of the method in different study areas when appropriate revision criteria for the SPRI are used and to explore the possibility of standardization. In this context, the innovative aspect of the study is the use of parameters identified based on past flood events and the importance of the verification process of these parameters. Additionally, the importance of highlighting parameters in the selection of vulnerability factors in past disasters is emphasized. The verification process of the study includes selecting standardized parameters, testing the model’s effectiveness, and evaluating the applicability of the results in other study areas. The validation process of the study includes selecting standardized parameters, testing the effectiveness of the model, and evaluating the applicability of the results in other study areas.This approach can help us better understand the relationship between regional variables and susceptibility, thereby contributing to the development of more effective flood management strategies.
The aim of the study is to provide a framework for determining design and adaptation strategies for urban coastal area uses against sea level rise risk due to climate change. The main argument of the study is that strategies to be put forward at the scale of urban design and architecture are important in preventing the negative effects of sea level rise and common and developing strategies can be created for cities with similar urban morphologies, spatial and functional characteristics. Within this scope, Izmir and Thessaloniki cities are chosen as a case that have morphologically and spatially/functionally similar characteristics. In the research part, analysis parameters for the characteristics of urban coastal areas are grouped as; geographical/morphological and spatial/functional. According to these two parameters, possible impacts, also design and adaptation strategies in literature are classified in urban and architectural scales. In the case study, coastal area sections of cities were prepared to understand the morphological and spatial/functional characteristics. Then, sections were divided into sub- segments to understand urban space structures. Strategies includes suggestions for reorganizing urban space functions, designing urban landscapes, urban equipment and furniture, also creating infrastructure decisions and strengthening the existing building stock in the short term for flood risk.
This study developed a framework for infrastructure assessment, including green infrastructure (GI) and gray infrastructure (GyI), and examined the impact of coastal infrastructure on humans and nature. The results of the survey showed that the well-being was related to the size of the hazard, and the smaller the hazard, the higher the level of satisfaction. The results also indicated that there is a limit to the level of satisfaction that can be obtained through urbanization, and that GI ecosystem services may lead to higher levels of satisfaction. The results of this study suggest the importance of considering the balance between GI and GyI in terms of both well-being and natural demand.
The combination of accelerated urbanization and tourism-related activities, along with frequent coastal flooding, has generated pressure on the coastline of the Republic of Croatia (RH). In this paper, an integrated coastal vulnerability model (ICVI) for coastal flooding was developed. The ICVI was generated using a GIS multicriteria approach and derived from two sub-indices: the physical vulnerability index (CVIN) and the socio-economic
vulnerability index (CVIS). In total, 30 criteria were used in the derivation of the ICVI, with twelve contributing to CVIS and eighteen to CVIN. The ICVI model is represented as a line divided into smaller segments, each segment indicating ICVI vulnerability levels ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). The accuracy of CVIN was evaluated using 159 geocoded coastal flood locations obtained from various websites and the official register of
Hrvatske Vode flood events from 2008 to 2023. More than 80% of geocoded flood locations are situated in areas with very high (5) or high (4) CVIN. Furthermore, out of 32 settlements with officially registered flood events, 90.6% of them are located in areas with very high or high ICVI. Since all data used in the ICVI derivation were acquired from open-source databases and a user-friendly GIS-MCDA toolbox was utilized, this paper presents a cost-effective approach to modeling integrated coastal vulnerability. This model can guide decision-makers and
provide them with new insights for implementing an effective integrated coastal zone management strategy.
The study assesses the coastal evolution of Southeastern Crete and the vulnerability of archeological sites of the area to coastal erosion. Shoreline dynamics for the period since the 1940s was investigated based on the interpretation of high-resolution aerial photos and satellite images. The set of climatic variables derived from the Copernicus databases, as well as data on geomorphological and geological factors obtained from fieldworks, images interpretation, archives, and open sources, were analyzed. The impact of these variables on coastal dynamics was evaluated through regression analysis, correlating their spatial distribution with rates of shoreline retreat/advance. Based on this analysis, variables for the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) calculation were selected, and the weights for the weighted CVI were determined. Both approaches, the CVI and the weighted CVI, identified the most vulnerable areas as being situated in the north, east, and southeast of Koufonisi island, as well as in the north and east of the Chrisi island. The least vulnerable are the wide beaches in the closed bays in the areas of Gra Lygia, Ierapetra, and Ferma, along with the rocky capes at the east of the Ierapetra area. Two of five archeological sites of the area (Lefki Roman Town and Stomio Roman Villa) are located within the zone of high or very high coastal vulnerability. This study provides the first in-depth analysis of coastal dynamics and coastal vulnerability of the area of Southeastern Crete, which has significant cultural heritage assets but has previously remained under-researched.
We discuss approaches to the assessment of vulnerability to climate variability and change and attempt to clarify the relationship between the concepts of vulnerability and adaptation. In search of a robust, policy-relevant framework, we define vulnerability in terms of the capacity of individuals and social groups to respond to, that is, to cope with, recover from or adapt to, any external stress placed on their livelihoods and well-being. The approach that we develop places the social and economic well-being of society at the centre of the analysis, focussing on the socio-economic and institutional constraints that limit the capacity to respond. From this perspective, the vulnerability or security of any group is determined by resource availability and by the entitlement of individuals and groups to call on these resources. We illustrate the application of this approach through the results of field research in coastal Vietnam, highlighting shifting patterns of vulnerability to tropical storm impacts at the household- and community-level in response to the current process of economic renovation and drawing conclusions concerning means of supporting the adaptive response to climate stress. Four priorities for action are identified that would improve the situation of the most exposed members of many communities: poverty reduction; risk-spreading through income diversification; respecting common property management rights; and promoting collective security. A sustainable response, we argue, must also address the underlying causes of social vulnerability, including the inequitable distribution of resources.
Coastal plain shorelines with medium wave energy exhibit distinct differences in morphology in areas with different tidal ranges. For example, barrier islands do not occur on macrotidal coasts. On microtidal coasts, which have the greatest abundance of barrier islands, the barriers are long and linear, with a predominance of storm washover influences. On mesotidal coasts the barriers are short and stunted, with a characteristic drumstick shape. A plot of 21 coastal plain shorelines on a graph of mean wave height versus mean tidal range allowed further discrimination of the impact of these two factors on coastal morphology. In areas of low wave energy smaller tidal ranges are required to produce tide-dominant morphology than on medium wave energy coasts. In areas of high wave energy larger tidal ranges are required. -from Author
This article examines the vulnerability of US coastal counties to erosion by combining a socioeconomic vulnerability index with the US Geological Survey's physically based coastal vulnerability index. The end product is a county-based index of overall coastal place vulnerability. The results indicate that place vulnerability along the coast is highly differentiated and influenced by a range of social, economic, and physical indicators. Regionally, Gulf Coast vulnerability is more of a product of social characteristics rather than physical attributes. The opposite is true of Pacific and Atlantic coastal counties, where physical characteristics are more influential in determining erosion-hazard vulnerability. It is clear that overall vulnerability of coastal counties cannot be determined without the union of social, economic, built-environment, and physical characteristics. Yet the methods for combining these components are not widely used at present by coastal scientists and policy makers, rendering hazards assessments incomplete and mitigation plans untenable for many places.
A synthesis of some results obtained over the period 1979–1982 from a study of beach and surf zone dynamics is presented. The paper deals with the different natural beach states, the process signatures associated with these states, environmental controls on modal beach state, and the temporal variability of beach state and beach profiles.Hydrodynamic processes and the relative contributions of different mechanisms to sediment transport and morphologic change differ dramatically as functions of beach state, that is depending on whether the surf zone and beach are reflective, dissipative or in one of several intermediate states. Depending on beach state, near bottom currents show variations in the relative dominance of motions due to: incident waves, subharmonic oscillations, infragravity oscillations, and mean longshore and rip currents. On reflective beaches, incident waves and subharmonic edge waves are dominant. In highly dissipative surf zones, shoreward decay of incident waves is accompanied by shoreward growth of infragravity energy; in the inner surf zone, currents associated with infragravity standing waves dominate. On intermediate states with pronounced bar-trough (straight or crescentic) topographies, incident wave orbital velocities are generally dominant but significant roles are also played by subharmonic and infragravity standing waves, longshore currents, and rips. The strongest rips and associated feeder currents occur in association with intermediate transverse bar and rip topographies.Long-term consecutive surveys of different beaches with contrasting local environmental conditions provide the data sets for empirical—statistical assessment of beach mobility, direction of change and response to environmental conditions. Conditions of persistently high wave energy combined with abundant and/or fine grained sediment results in maintaining highly dissipative states which exhibit very low mobility. Relatively low mobility is also associated with persistently low-steepness waves acting on coarsegrained beach sediments. In such cases, the modal beach state is reflective. The greatest degree of mobility is associated with intermediate but highly changeable wave conditions, medium grained sediment and a modest or meager sediment supply. Under such conditions, the beach and surf zone tend to alternate among the intermediate states and to exhibit well-developed bar trough and rhythmic topographies. A good association is found between beach state and the environmental parameter where Hb is breaker height, is mean sediment fall velocity and T is wave period. Temporal variability of beach state reflects, in part, the temporal variability and rate of change of Ω, which, in turn depends on deep-water wave climate and nearshore wave modifications.
A methodological framework for the determination of environmental quality in coastal areas is presented. The method is based on the identification of a series of characteristics (e.g. water quality, hazard level, potential for use) which can be used to describe different environmental components (e.g. coastal waters, natural hazards, human features) using certain indicators (e.g. ppm of selected pollutants, number of storms per year, number and quality of historical sites). Numerical indices which can be used to assess different qualities on the basis of the indicators are proposed. These indices can be applied to both 'natural' environmental units and coastal jurisdictions and they can be used for mapping environmental quality and monitoring its change with time. A conservation/development diagram is proposed as a tool to help identify and assess planning conflicts in coastal areas. The method proposed should facilitate the integration of scientific assessments into the process of coastal planning and management, through the application of indices which summarize environmental characteristics in terms significant for planners. It can also help to determine whether existing management and policy trends move away or towards sustainability, as the indices provide a means to determine whether environmental quality in a coastal area is decreasing or increasing.
Coastal classification or typology based on multidisciplinary data and multivariate analysis has recently emerged as a tool in coastal management. In this paper, eighteen published accounts of coastal classification procedures are reviewed in order to determine the reasons for such an increase, the variability between different approaches and the utility of each approach. The increase in use of such approaches to coastal classification may be linked to technological advances and widespread use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The main differences identified between the indices are in terms of scale of application, variables included, mode of analysis, mode of presentation and the nature of the risks being assessed. While many authors drew attention to limitations imposed by lack of availability of data, in general it was concluded that few indices adequately considered the physical basis for interaction between variables used in the classification procedure. In particular, while most indices recognise the need for socio-economic data, few were able to adequately incorporate such information. Those indices with the highest utility in risk assessment are considered to be those in which (a) the nature of potential perturbation and (b) the issues of management concern were clearly defined. Those in which neither is adequately defined are likely to be of use mainly as databases. A potential stepwise approach to development of specific coastal classification indices is outlined in which user needs and interrelationships between variables are examined in the planning stage. We recommend development of a GIS-based hierarchy of coastal classifications on varying spatial scales in which resolution may be adapted and variables combined differently according to specific aspects of management concern at different spatial management levels.