Climate change and extreme weather events are affecting the environment, and people’s livelihood in both developing and developed countries. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, livestock, water resources, human health, terrestrial ecosystems, biodiversity, and coastal zones are among the major sectors impacted by these shocks. The challenge of adaptation is particularly acute in the developing countries, as poverty and resource constraints limit their capacity to act. Bangladesh fits in this category, and thus I use data from Bangladesh to analyze the adaptation process in the first and second chapter of my dissertation. In the first chapter, I investigate whether transient shocks (flood, cyclone) or permanent shocks (e.g., river erosion that leads to permanent loss of lands) have more influence on interregional migration. Findings of the study suggest that the households prefer to move to the nearest city when the environmental shock is temporary, whereas they tend to relocate over a greater distance when the environmental shock is more permanent in nature. In the second chapter, I investigate the feasibility of a set of adaptation measures to cope with hydro-climatic shocks (e.g. floods, drought, cyclones, tidal waves) and epidemic shocks (emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases on livestock and poultry) in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh. Findings suggest that a decrease in agricultural income due to climatic and/or epidemic shocks is likely to induce households to adapt more. Developed countries are also vulnerable to extreme weather events and climatic shocks. In 2017, United States was hit by three consecutive hurricanes: Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Given the rising exposure and the increasing need to manage coastal vulnerability, the third essay focusses on understanding household preferences for financing adaptation activities in the U. S. and analyzes which mechanism, i.e., state or federal adaptation fund approach, is better suited to managing exposure to such types of natural disaster in the future.

Este trabajo presenta un marco metodológico para la estimación de la vulnerabilidad costera al impacto de tormentas a dos escalas, regional y local. Se hace una evaluación de la vulnerabilidad costera física mediante la cuantificación de dos componentes: erosión e inundación. Posteriormente, ambos elementos son integrados en un Índice de Vulnerabilidad Costera. La metodología desarrollada cubre los siguientes pasos: (i) clasificación de tormentas, (ii) evaluación de la respuesta inducida en la playa -inundación y erosión- (iii) caracterización de las playas en la zona de estudio (iv) definición del índice de vulnerabilidad costera y (v) evaluación de la vulnerabilidad costera. Estos pasos han sido derivados y aplicados a la costa catalana (Mediterráneo Noroccidental español) y pueden ser adaptados a otras costas. Los resultados obtenidos pueden ser fácilmente utilizados por los gestores costeros para identificar zonas costeras sensibles a una clase de tormenta dada y sus procesos inducidos (inundación, erosión o la combinación de ambos) para decidir donde tomar acciones para mitigar estos impactos. / This work presents a methodological framework for the estimation of coastal vulnerability to storm impacts at two scales, regional and local. It estimates the physical coastal vulnerability through the quantification of two components: erosion and flooding. Afterwards the two elements are integrated into the so called Coastal Vulnerability Index. The methodological process covers the following steps: (i) storm classification, (ii) evaluation of the induced beach response -flood and erosion-, (iii) coastal zone characterization, (iv) definition of a coastal vulnerability index to storms and (v) assessment of the coastal vulnerability. These steps have been derived and applied to the Catalan coast (NW Spanish Mediterranean) and can be adapted to other coasts. The obtained results can be used by coastal managers in an easy manner to identify sensitive coastal stretches for a given storm class and the induced processes (flooding, erosion or combination of both) with the purpose to take actions and mitigate these impacts.

O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir para a compreensão da sensibilidade ambiental e risco socioambiental do setor costeiro centro-norte do Estado de Santa Catarina (de Biguaçu a Itapoá). Para atingir o objetivo proposto foi aplicada uma metodologia, adaptada do método Smartline proposto para a costa Australiana, denominada ISAC – Índice de Sensibilidade Ambiental Costeira, que se apresenta neste estudo dividida da seguinte forma: (a) análise das variáveis regionais de vulnerabilidade costeira da região centro-norte Catarinense; (b) avaliação de critérios como geologia, geomorfologia, clima, dinâmica marinha, topografia e socioeconomia da área de estudo; (c) classificação hierárquica frente a fatores de resistência e/ou função ecológica e posterior ponderação de acordo com a sensibilidade de cada critério a eventos extremos e a elevação do nível médio dos oceanos; (d) elaboração de mapas temáticos contendo informações da sensibilidade ambiental presente nas praias do litoral centro e norte de Santa Catarina para cenários de ondulação provenientes de Leste e Sudeste. O ISAC demonstrou que 39% da zona costeira, apresenta sensibilidade Alta para o cenário de ondulação proveniente de Leste, seguido pelos valores de 18% que apresenta sensibilidade Baixa, 17% com sensibilidade Muito Alta e 16% com sensibilidade Muito Baixa. Para o cenário de ondas provenientes de Sudeste, 41% da área de estudo apresenta Alta sensibilidade em seus segmentos costeiros, com valores menores na sequência, onde 20%, 15% e 13% da costa demonstraram sensibilidade Baixa, Muito Baixa e Muito Alta respectivamente. Com relação ao risco socioambiental costeiro, no cenário com ondulações de Leste, 51% da linha de costa apresenta risco Médio, 30% risco Alto e 18% risco Baixo e referente ao cenário de Sudeste 53%, 27% e 20% do segmento costeiro apresentam risco Médio, Alto e Baixo respectivamente. O ISAC e a Análise de Risco Socioambiental mostraram-se eficientes para uma avaliação regional do litoral centro-norte de Santa Catarina. Entretanto, salienta-se que para a realização de uma análise local, de maior detalhe, se faz necessário a obtenção de um volume maior de informações, a cerca dos critérios ou parâmetros ambientais, através de campanhas de campo. / The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of environmental sensitivity and Social Environmental risk for the central-north coastal sector of the Santa Catarina State (from Biguaçu to Itapoá). To achieve the proposed objective the ISAC - Coastal Environmental Sensitivity Index methodology was applied, adapted from the Smartline method proposed for the Australian coast. In this study the ISAC methodology is divided as follows: (a) regional variables analysis of coastal vulnerability for the central-north region of Santa Catarina; (b) assessment of the criteria such as geology, geomorphology, climate, marine dynamic, topography and social-economy of the study area; (c) hierarchical classification against resistance factors and/or ecological function and subsequent pondering according to the sensitivity of each criterion to extreme events and mean sea level rise; (d) development of thematic maps containing the environmental sensitivity information of the study area for two different wave scenarios, waves from the East and Southeast directions. The ISAC showed that 39% of the coastal area has High sensitivity for the East waves, followed by the values of 18% which has Low sensitivity, 17% with Very High and 16% with Very Low sensitivity. For the Southeast waves scenario, 41% of the study area has High sensitivity in the coastal sections, with lower values in the sequence, where 20%, 15% and 13% of the coast showed the sensitivity as Low, Very Low and Very High respectively. Regarding the social environmental coastal risk, for the East wave scenario, 51% of the coastline presents Medium risk, 30% High risk and 18% Low risk. For the Southeast waves scenario, 53%, 27% and 20% of the coastal segment has Medium, High and Low risk respectively. The ISAC and the Social Environmental Risk analysis were effective for a regional assessment of the central northern coast of Santa Catarina. However, it is noted that to perform a detailed local analysis is necessary to obtain a greater volume of information about the criteria or environmental parameters through field campaigns.

The study aims to assess vulnerability to sea level rise of the municipal population from the coastal region of the state of São Paulo. This vulnerability assessment focus on degrees of vulnerability and what are the main factors that affect vulnerability to sea level rise in the municipalities. The study has included indicators of vulnerability to sea level rise which were represented through vulnerability mapping reflecting the degrees of adaptive capacity, sensitivity, exposure and total vulnerability of the municipalities. The results have shown that São Vicente, São Sebastião, Praia Grande, Santos and Guarujá were classified as highly vulnerable to sea level rise and Santos as the most vulnerable municipality. The assessment indicated that approximately 1 million inhabitants of the coastal zone of São Paulo could be affected by a rise of up to 1 meter in the sea level in one generation time, around 100 years. Social factors are among the main factors that affect vulnerability, which are especially related to urban infrastructure; however biophysical factors, particularly linked to erosion and inundation are significant factors to vulnerability to sea level rise in the municipalities likewise, economic factors, as the most vulnerable municipalities concentrate industries with high polluting potential. The identified main factors that affect coastal vulnerability should be integrated in policy considerations that should also focus on long term urban management strategies.

O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir para a compreensão da sensibilidade ambiental e risco socioambiental do setor costeiro centro-norte do Estado de Santa Catarina (de Biguaçu a Itapoá). Para atingir o objetivo proposto foi aplicada uma metodologia, adaptada do método Smartline proposto para a costa Australiana, denominada ISAC – Índice de Sensibilidade Ambiental Costeira, que se apresenta neste estudo dividida da seguinte forma: (a) análise das variáveis regionais de vulnerabilidade costeira da região centro-norte Catarinense; (b) avaliação de critérios como geologia, geomorfologia, clima, dinâmica marinha, topografia e socioeconomia da área de estudo; (c) classificação hierárquica frente a fatores de resistência e/ou função ecológica e posterior ponderação de acordo com a sensibilidade de cada critério a eventos extremos e a elevação do nível médio dos oceanos; (d) elaboração de mapas temáticos contendo informações da sensibilidade ambiental presente nas praias do litoral centro e norte de Santa Catarina para cenários de ondulação provenientes de Leste e Sudeste. O ISAC demonstrou que 39% da zona costeira, apresenta sensibilidade Alta para o cenário de ondulação proveniente de Leste, seguido pelos valores de 18% que apresenta sensibilidade Baixa, 17% com sensibilidade Muito Alta e 16% com sensibilidade Muito Baixa. Para o cenário de ondas provenientes de Sudeste, 41% da área de estudo apresenta Alta sensibilidade em seus segmentos costeiros, com valores menores na sequência, onde 20%, 15% e 13% da costa demonstraram sensibilidade Baixa, Muito Baixa e Muito Alta respectivamente. Com relação ao risco socioambiental costeiro, no cenário com ondulações de Leste, 51% da linha de costa apresenta risco Médio, 30% risco Alto e 18% risco Baixo e referente ao cenário de Sudeste 53%, 27% e 20% do segmento costeiro apresentam risco Médio, Alto e Baixo respectivamente. O ISAC e a Análise de Risco Socioambiental mostraram-se eficientes para uma avaliação regional do litoral centro-norte de Santa Catarina. Entretanto, salienta-se que para a realização de uma análise local, de maior detalhe, se faz necessário a obtenção de um volume maior de informações, a cerca dos critérios ou parâmetros ambientais, através de campanhas de campo. / The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of environmental sensitivity and Social Environmental risk for the central-north coastal sector of the Santa Catarina State (from Biguaçu to Itapoá). To achieve the proposed objective the ISAC - Coastal Environmental Sensitivity Index methodology was applied, adapted from the Smartline method proposed for the Australian coast. In this study the ISAC methodology is divided as follows: (a) regional variables analysis of coastal vulnerability for the central-north region of Santa Catarina; (b) assessment of the criteria such as geology, geomorphology, climate, marine dynamic, topography and social-economy of the study area; (c) hierarchical classification against resistance factors and/or ecological function and subsequent pondering according to the sensitivity of each criterion to extreme events and mean sea level rise; (d) development of thematic maps containing the environmental sensitivity information of the study area for two different wave scenarios, waves from the East and Southeast directions. The ISAC showed that 39% of the coastal area has High sensitivity for the East waves, followed by the values of 18% which has Low sensitivity, 17% with Very High and 16% with Very Low sensitivity. For the Southeast waves scenario, 41% of the study area has High sensitivity in the coastal sections, with lower values in the sequence, where 20%, 15% and 13% of the coast showed the sensitivity as Low, Very Low and Very High respectively. Regarding the social environmental coastal risk, for the East wave scenario, 51% of the coastline presents Medium risk, 30% High risk and 18% Low risk. For the Southeast waves scenario, 53%, 27% and 20% of the coastal segment has Medium, High and Low risk respectively. The ISAC and the Social Environmental Risk analysis were effective for a regional assessment of the central northern coast of Santa Catarina. However, it is noted that to perform a detailed local analysis is necessary to obtain a greater volume of information about the criteria or environmental parameters through field campaigns.

O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir para a compreensão da sensibilidade ambiental e risco socioambiental do setor costeiro centro-norte do Estado de Santa Catarina (de Biguaçu a Itapoá). Para atingir o objetivo proposto foi aplicada uma metodologia, adaptada do método Smartline proposto para a costa Australiana, denominada ISAC – Índice de Sensibilidade Ambiental Costeira, que se apresenta neste estudo dividida da seguinte forma: (a) análise das variáveis regionais de vulnerabilidade costeira da região centro-norte Catarinense; (b) avaliação de critérios como geologia, geomorfologia, clima, dinâmica marinha, topografia e socioeconomia da área de estudo; (c) classificação hierárquica frente a fatores de resistência e/ou função ecológica e posterior ponderação de acordo com a sensibilidade de cada critério a eventos extremos e a elevação do nível médio dos oceanos; (d) elaboração de mapas temáticos contendo informações da sensibilidade ambiental presente nas praias do litoral centro e norte de Santa Catarina para cenários de ondulação provenientes de Leste e Sudeste. O ISAC demonstrou que 39% da zona costeira, apresenta sensibilidade Alta para o cenário de ondulação proveniente de Leste, seguido pelos valores de 18% que apresenta sensibilidade Baixa, 17% com sensibilidade Muito Alta e 16% com sensibilidade Muito Baixa. Para o cenário de ondas provenientes de Sudeste, 41% da área de estudo apresenta Alta sensibilidade em seus segmentos costeiros, com valores menores na sequência, onde 20%, 15% e 13% da costa demonstraram sensibilidade Baixa, Muito Baixa e Muito Alta respectivamente. Com relação ao risco socioambiental costeiro, no cenário com ondulações de Leste, 51% da linha de costa apresenta risco Médio, 30% risco Alto e 18% risco Baixo e referente ao cenário de Sudeste 53%, 27% e 20% do segmento costeiro apresentam risco Médio, Alto e Baixo respectivamente. O ISAC e a Análise de Risco Socioambiental mostraram-se eficientes para uma avaliação regional do litoral centro-norte de Santa Catarina. Entretanto, salienta-se que para a realização de uma análise local, de maior detalhe, se faz necessário a obtenção de um volume maior de informações, a cerca dos critérios ou parâmetros ambientais, através de campanhas de campo. / The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of environmental sensitivity and Social Environmental risk for the central-north coastal sector of the Santa Catarina State (from Biguaçu to Itapoá). To achieve the proposed objective the ISAC - Coastal Environmental Sensitivity Index methodology was applied, adapted from the Smartline method proposed for the Australian coast. In this study the ISAC methodology is divided as follows: (a) regional variables analysis of coastal vulnerability for the central-north region of Santa Catarina; (b) assessment of the criteria such as geology, geomorphology, climate, marine dynamic, topography and social-economy of the study area; (c) hierarchical classification against resistance factors and/or ecological function and subsequent pondering according to the sensitivity of each criterion to extreme events and mean sea level rise; (d) development of thematic maps containing the environmental sensitivity information of the study area for two different wave scenarios, waves from the East and Southeast directions. The ISAC showed that 39% of the coastal area has High sensitivity for the East waves, followed by the values of 18% which has Low sensitivity, 17% with Very High and 16% with Very Low sensitivity. For the Southeast waves scenario, 41% of the study area has High sensitivity in the coastal sections, with lower values in the sequence, where 20%, 15% and 13% of the coast showed the sensitivity as Low, Very Low and Very High respectively. Regarding the social environmental coastal risk, for the East wave scenario, 51% of the coastline presents Medium risk, 30% High risk and 18% Low risk. For the Southeast waves scenario, 53%, 27% and 20% of the coastal segment has Medium, High and Low risk respectively. The ISAC and the Social Environmental Risk analysis were effective for a regional assessment of the central northern coast of Santa Catarina. However, it is noted that to perform a detailed local analysis is necessary to obtain a greater volume of information about the criteria or environmental parameters through field campaigns.

No description available.

The United States coastline contain some of the most valued ecological resources, the most populated urban areas, the most complex infrastructure systems, the most prolific economic engines, and the busiest ports of trade. However important the coastline may be to our nation, the history of our coastal communities suggests that they are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, including hurricane landfall. There are many potential reasons for this vulnerability, and several of them are considered in this work. The common goal of research presented here is to better understand the hydrodynamic forces developed as hurricanes impact the coast so that the resulting effects on coastal resources can be better understood and managed, and vulnerability can be significantly minimized. This work begins with consideration of the hydraulic domain at the interface between inland riverine and coastal environments. Regulators, and therefore those being regulated, generally prefer to separate riverine systems from coastal systems in the design and analysis of coastal infrastructure. Although analysis is greatly simplified, important synergistic hydrodynamic effects are not considered which can have dramatic negative effects on the ability of infrastructure to withstand hurricane impact. Research continues by evaluating how society delineates the coastal flood hazard. Current methods apply a deterministic, steady-state approach to defining this highly dynamic feature influenced by multiple uncertain and variable parameters. By ignoring the variability inherent in the coastal floodplain, society is not able to correctly define the flood hazard, and therefore cannot fully asses the risk to which it is exposed. A methodology is presented to more realistically quantify the coastal flood hazard and to calculate an appropriate flood risk metric. Finally, this research considers the reliability of a coastal community's water distribution system under hurricane impact. By understanding system vulnerability and system interdependence, community leaders can provide more reliable infrastructure systems, thereby reducing the magnitude of disaster and shortening the recovery time. A methodology is presented to quantify the reliability of a water system under several hurricane impact scenarios.

The IPCC has identified small islands and coastal zones among regions most vulnerable to climate change. The geomorphological characteristics of Prince Edward Island (PEI), such as highly erodible sandstone bedrock and low elevation, contribute to a high degree of physical vulnerability to climate change. The province is highly susceptible to physical impacts of climate change including relative sea-level rise and increased rates of coastline retreat. In order to assess the physical coastal vulnerability of the ParCA study area of the North Shore, PEI, a model employing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), multi-criteria evaluation (MCE), and time step analysis is formulated. The physical vulnerability of the North Shore for the year 2010 was quantified in terms of wind-wave exposure condition, morphological resiliency, and permanent and episodic flood risk. These results are employed as model inputs to predict the shoreline for the subsequent time steps (2050, 2100), which are again analyzed to estimate future physical coastal vulnerability. Such an approach allows for updated predictions in intent to improve accuracy when compared to linear extrapolation. Finally, areas of highest priority for adaptation measures are quantified for each time step. This physical vulnerability analysis together with community-based and socioeconomic coastal vulnerability analyses will portray the comprehensive vulnerability of the North Shore to current and future effects of climate change.

Cuba’s expansive coral reefs and mangrove habitats provide a variety of ecosystem services to coastal communities including nursery grounds for fisheries, shoreline stability, and storm and flood protection. While Cuba’s coastal habitats are some of the most preserved in the Caribbean, they are under increasing threat of degradation from the impacts of climate change, increased tourism, and coastal development. With the goal of sustainable development, Cubans need to assess the storm and flood protection benefits these coastal habitats provide, and integrate this information into future expansion and management plans within the National Protected Areas System (SNAP). Using the open source software, Integrated Valuation on Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), a national-scale coastal vulnerability model was developed to provide quantitative estimates of coastal exposure and the protective role of coastal habitats during storm events. This model integrates storm information with bathymetry and coastline geomorphology, coupled with coastal habitat data to estimate the influence of these habitats in reducing vulnerability to storms and flooding. By combining these results with human population data, the model identifies where coastal communities are most vulnerable to wave energy and storm surge, and where coral reefs and mangroves provide the most protection by reducing impacts to these communities. We classify these regions as areas of conservation priority. We observed that fifty percent of the areas identified as areas of conservation priority lack any form of environmental protection. We recommend including these key habitats within the National System of Protected Areas. This will permit decision makers to more effectively concentrate restoration and conservation efforts in areas where people and natural resources will experience greater benefit from valuable ecological services.