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An increase in the global mean sea level is predicted during the twenty-first century, as a consequence of global average rising temperature projections. In addition, changes in the strength of atmospheric cyclonic storms may alter the development of storm surges, exacerbating the risks to coastal communities. Based on the fact that the interest and range of papers on this topic are growing, this study aims to present the status of the global scientific production on studies that have correlated climate change and the impact of storm surges on the coastal zone leading to erosion and flooding (inundation) via a bibliometric analysis. We analyzed 429 papers published in journals between January 1991 and February 2021 from the Scopus database. Through the VOSviewer and Bibliometrix R package, we describe the most relevant countries, affiliations, journals, authors, and keywords. Our results demonstrate that there has been an exponential growth in the research topic and that authors from the USA and the United Kingdom are the most prolific. Among the 1454 authors found, ten researchers published at least five papers on the topic and obtained at least 453 citations in the period. The most represented journals were the Journal of Coastal Research, Climatic Change, and Natural Hazards. We also found and discuss the lack of standardization in the choice of keywords, of which climate change, storm surge, and sea-level rise are the most frequent. Finally, we have written a guide to facilitate the authors' bibliographic review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with sea-level rise, one of the most detrimental effects of climate change, is salinity leakage, which significantly affects agricultural activities throughout most of the world. This occurrence is becoming increasingly dangerous. The purpose of this study was to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to assess the current situation of agricultural lands in the province of Al-Diwaniyah, by employing GIS to document the salt-affected sites and arrive at the most important criteria affecting those lands as well as build an application model for suitability to clarify the affected sites and come up with paper and digital maps. To accomplish this, the study relied on the available data by extrapolating and analyzing remote sensing images using salt equations to analyze the Landsat 8 satellite images, after which these data were subjected to spatial statistical treatment in ArcGIS software. Moreover, 20 samples were taken from ground sampling points and subjected to laboratory analysis to compare and document the results. The research resulted in the creation of an up-to-date database for the locations of salt ratio growth or decrease in the province of Al-Diwaniyah, which can be relied on, starting from and expanding in the future. Land maps, both paper and digital, have been created and can be used and inferred. The findings demonstrated the model's ability to steadily discriminate among all salinity groups while maintaining consistency with the ground truth data. Each of the four major salinity categories was highlighted. The best-performing indicators were used to build the MLR model, which was then used to anticipate soil salinity. The salt levels may be determined by the MLR combining NDVI and SI-5 with a high correlation value (R2 = 75.29%). Finally, it is shown that by combining spectral indicators with field measurements, it is possible to chart and forecast soil salinity on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a discussion of the original paper titled "Coastal Defense Megaprojects in an Era of Sea-Level Rise: Politically Feasible Strategies or Army Corps Fantasies?" by D. J. Rasmussen, Robert E. Kopp, and Michael Oppenheimer. The authors review coastal defense megaprojects with storm surge barriers in the United States and discuss their feasibility. They compare the findings of the original paper with experiences from the implementation of coastal megaprojects in the Netherlands and identify key factors crucial for their feasibility and realization. The document concludes that coastal megaprojects with barriers are feasible and will be needed for future coastal protection and adaptation. [Extracted from the article]

Storm surge is the most serious marine disaster in China, and the inundation characteristics of storm surge are the key indicators of disaster severity. Especially in the context of relative sea level rise (RSLR), it is very important to rapidly and accurately estimate the inundation characteristics of storm surge for the risk assessment and emergency management of storm surge disasters. Taking Taizhou city, Zhejiang Province, as the study area, this paper constructed an RSLR scenario library considering absolute sea level rise, land subsidence and storm surge water increase. The scenario library includes 72 scenarios, consisting of a combination of four absolute sea level rise scenarios, three land subsidence scenarios, three timescales (2030, 2050 and 2100) and two storm surge water increase scenarios. Then, an improved passive inundation method was used to predict and analyze the inundation characteristics of storm surge under each scenario. This improved method combines the advantages of the accurate active inundation method and the rapid passive inundation method, and is suitable for rapid and accurate estimation of the storm surge inundation characteristics, which can meet the needs of a storm surge disaster risk assessment and emergency response. The prediction and analysis results show that a minor RSLR can also cause a large-scale inundation in coastal areas of Taizhou. When the value of RSLR exceeds the critical value (0.6 m), it may significantly increase the expansion of the inundation area of storm surge. At a relative sea level rise of 1.57 m (extreme scenario in 2100), the inland storm surge inundation of low-risk areas may become high-risk areas. Finally, the quantitative measures for preventing storm surge disasters were put forward according to the current situation of the coast in Taizhou. Without considering storm surge and superimposed general surge, the existing 20-year return period standard seawall can effectively protect against storm surge under various scenarios. In the case of maximum water increase, it is expected that effective protection will remain until 2030, but the standard of the seawall defense will need to be improved in 2050 and 2100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current scenario of understanding spatial objects with regards to land and marine environment seems lacking. Inevitably, the scenario in line with the global warming issues as being highly mentioned by world-bodies such as the United Nations (UN) on climate change, etc. Recently the statistics on earth surface temperature point towards high record temperatures that lead to sea-level rise and degradation of land surface area, in general. These situations caused other spatial objects (land and marine properties) to be affected by their physical properties' changes (including geometries and locations). Thus, this paper attempts to review various aspects related to digital twins of land and marine spatial objects with respect to issues and challenges of multiple data acquisition techniques considering accuracy, data standard, seamless and integrated georeferenced data within the scenario as being reported in the 6th IPCC document. The situation warrants us to explore different types of land and marine properties (static and dynamic) where static properties are defined as immovable objects and vice versa for the dynamic environment. This paper also discusses on a brief experiment utilizing MERIT DEM (Multi-Error-Removed Improved-Terrain Digital Elevation Model), existing building footprints, simulated bathymetry, and land use datasets. The experiment reveals the prediction of the sea level rise according to the IPCC report. The gist of this paper to serve a motivation for our near-future research in the context of geospatial components and sea level rise (SLR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its potential geo-political and environmental implications, climate migration is an increasing concern to the international community. However, while there is considerable attention devoted to migration in response to sea-level rise, there is a limited understanding of human mobility due to freshwater and inland hydroclimatic changes. Hence, the aim of this paper is to examine the existing evidence on migration as an adaptation strategy due to freshwater and inland hydroclimatic changes. A meta-review of papers published between 2014 and 2019 yielded 67 publications, the majority of which focus on a handful of countries in the Global South. Droughts, floods, extreme heat, and changes in seasonal precipitation patterns were singled out as the most common hazards triggering migration. Importantly, most of the papers discuss mobility as part of a portfolio of responses. Motivations to migrate at the household level range from survival to searching for better economic opportunities. The outcomes of migration are mixed — spanning from higher incomes to difficulties in finding employment after moving and struggles with a higher cost of living. While remittances can be beneficial, migration does not always have a positive outcome for those who are left behind. Furthermore, this meta-review shows that migration, even when desired, is not an option for some of the most vulnerable households. These multifaceted results suggest that, while climate mobility is certainly happening due to freshwater and inland hydroclimatic changes, studies reviewing it are limited and substantial gaps remain in terms of geographical coverage, implementation assessments, and outcomes evaluation. We argue that these gaps need to be filled to inform climate and migration policies that increasingly need to be intertwined rather than shaped in isolation from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Limnology & Oceanography Bulletin has published a list of the top three accessed articles for each issue in the second quarter of 2023. The articles cover a range of topics including nitrogen patterns in a eutrophic lake during an algal bloom, prey selection in copepods, and the effects of ocean acidification on marine phytoplankton. Other articles explore the interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on lake phytoplankton, the contribution of migrating copepods to the carbon pump, and the response of under-ice plankton communities to a snow removal experiment. The final set of articles investigate the unique carbon isotope fingerprints of microalgal taxonomic groups, the control of bottom hypoxia in alpine lakes, and the implications of sea-level rise on intertidal primary production. The authors are commended for their contributions to the journal. [Extracted from the article]

Coral reef islands are amongst the most vulnerable environments to sea‐level rise (SLR). Recent physical and numerical modeling studies have demonstrated that overwash processes may enable reef islands to keep up with SLR through island accretion. Sediment supply to these islands from the surrounding reef system is critical in understanding their morphodynamic adjustments, but is poorly constrained due to insufficient knowledge about sediment delivery rates. This paper provides the first estimation of sediment delivery rates to coral reef islands. Analysis of topographic and geochronological data from 28 coral reef islands indicates an average rate of sediment delivery of c. 0.1 m3 m−1 yr−1, but with substantial inter‐island variability. Comparison with carbonate sediment production rates from census‐based studies suggests that this represents one quarter of the amount of sediment produced on the reef platform. Results of this study are useful in future modeling studies for predicting morphodynamic adjustments of coral reef islands to SLR. Plain Language Summary: Low‐lying coral reef islands are under threat of sea‐level rise (SLR). However, when these islands are flooded, ocean waves can bring in sediment that can increase the island elevation. This would enable coral reef islands to better withstand flooding in the future. Knowing how much sediment is brought in will help in our understanding of future changes to these islands due to SLR. In this paper, we use data from 28 Indo‐Pacific coral reef islands to compute sediment supply to the islands. We find that on average 0.1 m3 of sediment (roughly 100 kg) is delivered each year for every meter of island shoreline. We further suggest that this implies that only one quarter of the sediments produced by the coral reef system is delivered to the island shoreline. Most of the sediment produced remains on the reef flat or is exported to the ocean or the lagoon. Our results will help future studies to predict more accurately how coral reef islands will adjust to SLR. Key Points: We provide the first estimates of carbonate sediment delivery rates to 28 coral reef islands using all data available from the literatureSediment delivery to the reef islands occurs at a rate of c. 0.1 m3 m−1 yr−1, but with substantial inter‐island variabilityWhere island building has been continuous through island history, long‐term delivery rates provide valuable estimates for contemporary rates [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal water supply infrastructure systems (CWSISs) are exposed to saltwater intrusion (SWI) exacerbated by sea level rise (SLR) stressors. However, most existing definitions of CWSIS resilience are confined to the system's global severity, while uncertainties from SLR are not considered. In this paper, we develop a CWSIS model considering uncertainties from SLR and define a new formula for resilience based on three components of system severity, i.e., social severity (SevS) affected by water shortages to end users, regional severity (SevR) caused by water shortages in water treatment plants (WTPs), and technological severity (SevT) considering water shortages in wells. A case study in Xingcheng is designed to (1) examine the resilience response of CWSISs to future SLR, (2) identify vulnerable components, and (3) compare the cost-effectiveness of different measures for enhancing resilience using scenario analysis with full consideration of future uncertainties from SLR. This paper contributes to the development of sustainability assessments for urban water systems subject to future sea level change. Finding response measures with high adaptiveness across a variety of future scenarios is crucial for establishing a sustainable urban water system in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

McNamara, G. and Vieira da Silva, G., 2023. The coastline paradox: A new perspective. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(1), 45–54. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The coastline paradox, which suggests that coastlines have indefinite lengths, is a widespread and misleading concept that has endured in scientific literature for over 50 years. This paper argues that the length of a coastline is real and finite. The measurement of coastlines allows for the quantification of coastline dynamics and engineering responses to these changes. The real difficulties in measuring sometimes complex coastal shapes have taken the appearance of an unreal impossibility. The paradox is resolved using three methods. The first examines definitions used to establish the features to which "coastline" refers. The second applies these definitions to the measurement of real coastlines. Finally, a geometrical analysis is carried out to resolve the paradox mathematically. The purpose of this paper is to help resolve the paradox and reduce confusion surrounding the topic, which will be of direct use for coastal communities and planners to assess and respond to coastline changes and sea-level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and the associated sea level rise (SLR) are presenting newfound challenges to the port systems and coastal transportation infrastructure of southeast Texas. This paper introduces a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based model designed to simulate inundation scenarios under various sea-level projections, aiming to assess the vulnerabilities of both port facilities and road networks. The study area encompasses a specific region within Jefferson County, southeast Texas, encompassing three major ports: Port Arthur, Beaumont, and Orange. Utilizing a high-resolution (1-m) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived from the 2017 LiDAR dataset, this model is integrated with NASA's sea-level rise projections to compute the extent and volume of inundation across low, medium, and high SLR scenarios. Drawing from monthly mean sea level data spanning from 1958 to 2020, the lowest SLR projections, derived from the relative sea-level trend measured at the Sabine Pass, TX gauge station, indicate a yearly increase of 6.16 mm, with a 95% confidence interval of +/- 0.74 mm. Projections for 2050 and 2,100 show the lowest SLR at 0.17 m and 0.48 m, respectively. In contrast, the medium to high RSLR projections under the IPCC SSP3-7.0 scenario for 2050 and 2,100 stand at 0.54 m and 1.34 m, respectively. The findings reveal that, under medium to high SLR scenarios, the extent of inundated areas in the study region is expected to expand by 12.4% in 2050 and 19.9% in 2,100, compared to the lowest SLR projection. Additionally, the length of submerged roadways is predicted to increase by 6.9% in 2050 and 13.3% in 2,100, in comparison to the lowest SLR projection. It is worth noting that some margin of error may be introduced due to factors such as the width of the port area and access roads, the high-resolution DEM, and the alignment of computed inundated areas with the existing topography. Overall, the manuscript highlights the urgency of proactive planning and underscores the importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure in the context of climate change and SLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maritime outer limits of a coastal State depend profoundly on the structure of its coastline, which is likely affected by rising sea levels. This paper clarifies the legal effect of unilateral declarations by States in general and when establishing maritime outer limits in particular, and the impact of fundamental changes in circumstances on the validity of such declarations in order to offer recommendations for Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developed barrier systems (barrier islands and spits) are lowering and narrowing with sea‐level rise (SLR) such that habitation will eventually become infeasible or prohibitively expensive for most communities in its current form. Before reaching this state, choices will be made to modify the natural and built environment to reduce relatively short‐term risk. These choices will likely vary substantially even along the same developed barrier system as these landscapes are rarely uniformly managed alongshore. Building on the results from a companion paper, here we use a new modeling framework to investigate the complexities in barrier system dynamics that emerge as a function of alongshore variability in management strategies, accelerations in SLR, and changes in storm intensity and frequency. Model results suggest that when connected through alongshore sediment transport, barriers with alongshore variable management strategies—here, the construction of dunes and wide beaches to protect either roadways or communities—evolve differently than they would in the absence of alongshore connections. Shoreline stabilization by communities in one location influences neighboring areas managed solely for roadways, inducing long‐term system‐wide lags in shoreline retreat. Conversely, when barrier segments managed for roadways are allowed to overwash, this induces shoreline curvature system‐wide, thus enhancing erosion on nearby stabilized segments. Feedbacks between dunes, storms, overwash flux, and alongshore sediment transport also affect outcomes of climate adaptation measures. In the case of partial, early abandonment of roadway management, we find that system‐wide transitions to less vulnerable landscape states are possible, even under accelerated SLR and increased storminess. Plain Language Summary: Because humans inhabit barrier islands and spits (collectively referred to as "barriers") these landscapes, that would otherwise naturally change shape in response to storms and sea‐level rise (SLR), are influenced by efforts to protect development with wide beaches and tall dunes. These features interfere with a process called overwash, which transports sand landward during storms, building barrier elevation relative to sea level. Here, we use a new model to better understand how these interactions influence the habitability of barriers over time. Our simulations show that different management decisions made for adjacent coastal segments affect each other in positive and negative ways. When communities nourish beaches, adjacent to segments managed for roadways, some nourished sand reaches the adjacent segments, reducing shoreline erosion there. Conversely, portions of barriers that are managed only for roadways allow some overwash to reach the barrier interior; this negatively affects neighboring communities by enhancing their shoreline erosion rates. We find that early abandonment of dune management along portions of barriers may prevent highly vulnerable future states, such as barrier drowning. As communities explore choices for climate adaptation, our findings reveal the importance of coordination among decision makers in adjacent communities to avoid undesirable outcomes. Key Points: When management strategies vary alongshore, their effects are coupled via alongshore sediment redistribution, influencing barrier evolutionBeach nourishment (along portions of barriers) induces system‐wide lags in shoreline retreat, even decades after nourishment practices ceaseMore overwash (due to lower dunes or increased storminess) can prolong habitability, but drives increased nourishment frequency elsewhere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science discusses the impacts, dynamics, and system responses of highly intervened estuaries. Estuaries are globally degraded and threatened environments due to human-engineered interventions, land use changes, and pollution. The article emphasizes the need to understand the interactions between different impacts and their effects in order to manage and restore highly intervened estuaries. It also presents original research papers on various aspects of estuarine systems, including morphological and hydrodynamic responses, changes in natural functions, physicochemical degradation, and strategies for restoration and recovery. Additionally, the article titled "Anthropocene" explores the concept of the Anthropocene epoch, which refers to the current geological era characterized by significant human impact on the Earth's ecosystems. The authors discuss the origins and implications of the term, as well as the controversies surrounding its definition and recognition within the scientific community. They also examine the various ways in which human activities have shaped the planet, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the Anthropocene concept and its relevance to understanding the relationship between humans and the environment. [Extracted from the article]

Global warming and climate variations are expected to alter hydrologic conditions and exacerbate flooding, primarily through increasingly frequent and intense storm events and sea-level rise. The interactions between coastlines and their inhabitants around the world are highly diverse, making them challenging to model due to the non-homogeneous, nonlinear, and complex nature of human decision-making. Agent-based modeling has proven valuable in various fields, enabling researchers to explore various social phenomena and emergent patterns under different institutional frameworks, including climate change scenarios and policy decisions, particularly at local scales. This approach is particularly useful in providing insights into possible outcomes and feedback resulting from the convergence of individual- and community-level adaptation decisions, and it has increasingly been used to model coastal systems. However, there are a limited number of studies that examine the effects of climate adaptation decisions on coastal tourism systems. This paper aims to address this gap by first providing an overview of the current state of agent-based modeling literature that explores coastal community adaptation responses to climate change. Subsequently, the paper argues for the application of these methods to simulate the effects of adaptation on coastal tourism dynamics. To better capture the interactions within subsystems and potential redistributed effects inherent in multi-scale and multi-stakeholder decision-making processes within these systems, we propose integrating agent-based modeling with a novel system of socio-environmental systems (SoSES) approach. This integration aims to assist city planners, policymakers, stakeholders, and attraction managers in effectively assessing adaptation options to safeguard their communities from the multifaceted impacts of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nexus between climate change and military security is essentially non-existent in Pakistan's security discourse. The paper argues for the connection between these two sectors - from the Copenhagen School framework of security - and presents how threats from climate change threaten Pakistan's military security. Most notable threats, in severity and frequency, are sea level rise, cyclone risks, drastic floods, warming patterns, and glacial melting. Sea level rise and cyclone risks impact naval assets and infrastructure while warming patterns and glacial melting affect troop movement, deployments, and logistics. Resultantly, military training, force capacity, and operational readiness is affected. Threats are more potent in strategically significant locations (Siachen, Sindh, and Punjab) which house important forward military bases. The paper provides actionable recommendations that create foundations for future steps as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-level rise (SLR) is a critical consequence of climate change, posing significant threats to coastal regions worldwide. Accurate and efficient assessment of potential inundation areas is crucial for effective coastal planning and adaptation strategies. This study aimed to explore the utility of free and open-source software for geospatial (FOSS4G) tools for mapping SLR inundation, providing cost-effective solutions that are accessible to researchers and policymakers. We employed a combination of geospatial data, including high-resolution elevation models, tidal data, and projected SLR scenarios. Utilizing widely available FOSS4G tools, like QGIS, GDAL/OGR, and GRASS GIS, we developed an integrated workflow to map inundation extents, using a passive bathtub approach for various SLR scenarios. We demonstrate the approach through a case study in Virginia Key, Florida, however, the methodology can be replicated in any area where the input datasets are available. This paper demonstrates that FOSS4G tools offer a reliable and accessible means to map SLR inundation, empowering stakeholders to assess coastal vulnerabilities and to devise sustainable adaptation measures. The open-source approach facilitates collaboration and reproducibility, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the potential impacts of SLR on coastal ecosystems and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A global challenge concerns reconciling population growth and increasing built infrastructure with foreshore ecosystems that are 'squeezed' against a rising sea levels, hampering their ability to deliver life-sustaining ecosystem services. This paper tests established sea-level rise strategies – fortification, accommodation, and retreat – using a city-centre adjacent estuarine case study in Western Australia to understand the implications for foreshore ecosystem service provision. The results indicate that some retreat of urban areas will be required, combined with the migration of the foreshore reserves landward, to maintain ecosystem service functions over the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National seashores are cherished public lands with rich environmental, cultural, and historic resources. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is one such coastal asset that is both bountiful yet vulnerable, with historic lighthouses, critical habitats, and recreational amenities alike facing threats of sea-level rise and continual storm and climate change impacts. Over 3 million visitors to the Seashore in 2021 set an annual visitation record. Historic resources such as the Bodie Island Lighthouse and Ocracoke Lighthouse are among the most visited sites, yet these assets are also among those most vulnerable to flooding, compromised structural integrity, and reduced accessibility. Future challenges to the protection and management of such resources are already being felt in the form of storms, extreme rainfall, and recurrent compound flooding. Such threats are also coincident with increasing visitation and recreational demand. This paper examines the science-based data that are being collected and management efforts underway to inform future planning, intervention, or adaptation to sea-level rise and barrier island evolution. The paper identifies the opportunities for mitigation and adaptation as well as potential environmental tipping points and limits to resilience by assessing the frequency and magnitude of flooding events and shoreline change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal bond markets began pricing sea-level rise (SLR) exposure risk in 2013, coinciding with upward revisions to worst-case SLR projections and accompanying uncertainty around these projections. The effect is larger for long-maturity bonds and not solely driven by near-term flood risk. We use a structural model of credit risk to quantify the implied economic impact and distinguish between the effects of underlying asset values and of uncertainty. The SLR exposure premium exhibits a trend different from house prices and is unaffected by house price controls. Together, our results highlight the importance of climate uncertainty in driving municipal bond prices. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuaries are continuously adapting to anthropogenic pressure. Because of sea-level rise and reduced fluvial sediment supply, they are at risk of sediment starvation. Contrarily, some estuaries require frequent dredging after artificially deepening the channel to maintain port operations. To optimize current estuarine functions and make estuaries more resilient to future threats, improved understanding of estuarine development after system changes is essential. This paper investigates the estuarine response related to two large-scale human interventions: (1) altering channel depth, following global trends of channel deepening for port navigability; and (2) creating or restoring wetlands, a nature-based solution increasingly explored for its ecosystem services. A schematized 2D-morphological model is set up using Delft3D-FM reflecting a highly engineered estuary in a micro-tidal and wave-dominant environment. Results demonstrate how channel deepening (from 13 m to 17 m, without wetland presence) increased sedimentation in the channel by +31%. Sedimentation rates in the wetland were mostly unaffected by channel depth. After restoring the wetland area (wetland width from 0 km to 1 km, constant channel depth of 15 m), sedimentation within the channel was reduced by − 72 %. The wetland area not only served as sediment sink, but also increased the tidal flow, diminishing sedimentation throughout the estuarine channel. Further analysis showed that restoring wetland areas along a specific segment mostly affected channel sedimentation locally (i.e., at the channel segment along the restored wetland). As such, to alleviate dredging operations at critical locations in the navigation channel, strategic restoration of wetlands can be considered which can provide a sustainable alternative to dredging within highly engineered estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan's rapid economic and industrial growth has put enormous pressure on its natural environment. This is especially visible in the coastal zone, where risks such as sea-level rise, coastal erosion, land subsidence, and flooding threaten the already vulnerable ecosystems. Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) is a management strategy that uses ecosystems to reduce disaster risks. While this type of strategy is promoted in the 'Taiwan Coastal Zone Management Act' (TCZMA), there is still a lack of data on the implementation of Eco-DRR methods in Taiwan. This study examines papers on policy analyses of the TCZMA, and five main barriers for implementation of Eco-DRR in Taiwan are identified. Subsequently, in order to assess Eco-DRR strategies in the coastal zone of Taiwan, case studies and evaluation data on ecosystem-based management strategies were assembled and evaluated. The results of this study show that initial strategies to plant mangroves for reduction of wave energy have not always been successful; in certain areas they were removed again due to invasiveness in endemic wetland ecosystems. Moreover, artificially building sand dunes can have negative side effects, like oversteepening of the dune profile or deteriorating the natural dune dynamics. To address and tackle aforementioned challenges, a novel framework is introduced for improved uptake of Eco-DRR in Taiwan and beyond, and suggestions for future strategies are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal flood risk and sea-level rise require decisions on investment in coastal protection and, in some cases, the relocation of urban areas. Models that formalize the relations between flooding costs, protective investments, and relocation can improve the analysis of the processes and issues involved and help to support decision-making better. In this paper, an agent-based model of a coastal city is represented in NetLogo. This model is based on the VIABLE modeling framework and describes adaptive dynamic agent behavior in a changing system. The hypothetical city faces damage caused by gradually rising sea levels and subsequent extreme sea-level events. To mitigate these risks, an "urban planner" agent has two adaptation measures at their disposal: developing coastal defenses or, as a more extreme measure, relocating vulnerable areas inland. As the simulation progresses and the decisions change with rising sea levels, the agent alters investments in these two measures to increase its value function, resulting in dynamic reactive behavior. Additionally, gradual sea-level rise is implemented in various modes, along with extreme sea-level events that cause severe short-term damage. The results of simulations under these modes and with multiple scenarios of agent action are presented. On average, agent behavior is quite reactive under limited foresight. Individual simulations yield a 'priming' effect when comparing different timings of extreme sea-level events, wherein an earlier extreme event primes the agent to adapt and thus be better prepared for subsequent events. Agent success with adaptation is also found to be sensitive to the costs involved, and these varying degrees of adaptation success are quantified using three parameters of adaptation success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the second half of the 20th century, the Antarctic Peninsula region has undergone a long and sustained warming period, followed by a shorter but also sustained cooling period, and then a very recent return to warming conditions. All of these have profoundly impacted the glaciers peripheral to the Antarctic Peninsula. This paper focuses on the analysis of the surface mass balance monitoring of such glaciers by the glaciological method, complemented by the analysis of mass-balance estimates by geodetic methods, as well as frontal ablation estimates. We aim to summarize the current knowledge and outline the main challenges faced by investigating the mass balance of such peripheral glaciers and their current contribution to sea-level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As several researches indicate, since the 1950s one observed unprecedented warming of the atmosphere and oceans, resulting from greenhouse gas emissions and changes in land use and occupation, leading to sea level rise and impacts on coastal areas. In the municipality of Niterói—Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where a large urban concentration in coastal areas is observed, a Climate Change Adaptation System was developed, through which mitigation and adaptation strategies are combined, in order to: reduce vulnerabilities; avoid losses and damages; build instruments to allow adaptation of natural, human, productive and infrastructure systems. In this context, this paper aims to measure possible impacts, in the biophysical and socioeconomic spheres, resulting from an eventual 0.50 m rise in mean sea level, which represents an optimistic scenario according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In contrast to similar studies, this work also considered daily and occasional water level variations, represented by the highest astronomical tide and the highest storm surge observed in the studied region. The following data were applied: digital elevation model, 2010 population census data, and real estate information. With the altimetry data, by means of GIS, the census sectors inserted in the affected areas were selected, to obtain data regarding population, number of households, and income. Specialized websites were applied to collect average property values. The simulations revealed that approximately 2950 households and more than 9000 residents could be directly affected, with losses that could exceed R$ 3.60 billion. The Oceanic Region is configured as the most exposed region, susceptible to losses of several ecosystems, economic losses in residential areas and possible destruction of urban infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deltas and coastal plains worldwide developed under the influence of relative sea level rise (RSLR) during the Holocene. In the Netherlands, Holocene RSLR results from both regional sea-level rise and regional subsidence patterns, mainly caused by glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA: Scandinavian forebulge collapse) and longer-term North Sea Basin tectono-sedimentary subsidence. Past coastal and inland water levels are preserved in geological indicators marking the gradual drowning of an area, for example basal peats. Such geological water-level indicators have been used in the Netherlands for varying types of research. However, uniform overviews of these data exist only for smaller local subsets and not for the entire Netherlands. In this paper we present a data set of 712 Holocene water-level indicators from the Dutch coastal plain that are relevant for studying RSLR and regional subsidence, compiled in HOLSEA workbook format. This format was expanded to allow for registering basal-peat type geological indicators, documenting Dutch-setting specific parameters and accompanying uncertainties, to assess indicative meaning, and to appropriately correct the raw vertical positions of the indicators. Overall, our new, internally consistent, expanded documentation provided for the water-level indicators encourages users to choose the information relevant for their research and report RSLR uncertainties transparently. From the indicators, 59 % was collected in 1950–2000, mainly in academic studies and survey mapping campaigns; 37 % was collected in 2000–2020 in academic studies and archaeological surveying projects, 4 % was newly collected (this study), the latter mainly in previously under sampled central and northern Netherlands regions. Prominent regional differences exist in the vertical position and abundance of the indicators. Older indicators in our data set are mostly located in the deeper seaward area of the Netherlands. These indicators correspond well with previous transgression reconstructions, that are partly based on the same data. The younger, landwards set of indicators in the Rhine-Meuse central and Flevoland regions corresponds with the transgression phase reaching further inland, from 8000 cal. BP onwards. Northern indicators of Middle Holocene age (8–5 ka cal. BP), in general lie 2–3 meters lower compared to those in the south. For younger data this difference is less, showing spatial and temporal variation in RSLR throughout the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-level rise was a key factor changing environments during the Early Holocene in Northwest Europe. It affected Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities by inundating large areas in the current North Sea, commonly referred to as Doggerland. In this paper we present novel inundation models for the southern North Sea providing visualisations of lateral inundation driven by sea-level rise and relate it to frequency analysis of radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites. These improve on previous studies that relied on bathymetric data, which includes post-inundation overprints of Holocene sedimentation and erosion, and thus significantly underestimates the timing of inundation in some areas. We constructed a paleoDEM (a composite elevation grid of the top of the Pleistocene) for the eastern part of the southern North Sea; and sea level surfaces that combine relative sea-level curves from glacio-isostatic adjustment models optimised for Britain and southern Scandinavia respectively. We corrected our paleoDEMs for tectonic background basin subsidence, and in the inundation modelling account for pre-compaction elevation of peat in coastal areas. We evaluated the impact of these model components on our results and describe the possible inundation history of Doggerland. We suggest earlier inundation than predicted by previous models, showing significant area loss around 10.5–10 ka cal BP. Palaeogeographic changes are compared with archaeological radiocarbon data using a dates-as-data approach. Composite Kernel Density Estimate and permutation tested Summed Probability Distributions are used as a proxy for the visibility, nature and intensity of human activity. Results indicate key periods of growth and decline recorded in the dataset, as well as regional differences in growth rate, some correlating with inundation phases. Chiefly, we find elevated growth rates around 10.5–10 ka in northwest Germany and the Netherlands, contemporaneous with the abovementioned phase of extensive area loss, and moreover, with changes in culture and practices on Early Mesolithic sites. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of archaeological data is significantly influenced by accessibility and preservation of sediments of a certain age. We discuss the importance of inundation modelling and sediment data in understanding how landscape taphonomy affects archaeological patterning, especially in dates-as-data approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable flood risk management (SFRM) has become popular since the 1980s. Many governmental and non-governmental organisations have been keen on implementing the SFRM strategies by integrating social, ecological, and economic themes into their flood risk management (FRM) practices. However, the justifications for SFRM are still somewhat embryonic, and it is not yet clear whether this concept is influencing current policies in different countries. This paper reviews the past and current flood management experiences from flood defence to SFRM in four developed countries to highlight lessons for coastal megacities in development. The paper explores recent strategies such as "Making Space for Water", Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in the UK and "Room for the River" in the Netherlands, which were implemented to mitigate flooding, integrate FRM with sustainability concepts, and deliver sound FRM practice for future generations. In this context, the United States has also established a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and in a different approach, Japan has developed an advanced flood warning and evacuation contingency system to prepare for climatic extremes. These case studies give good lessons in achieving long-term SFRM to deliver sound flood management practices considering socio-economic and environmental concerns. Most developing coastal megacities especially in Asia are still heavily reliant on a traditional hard-engineering approach, which may not be enough to mitigate substantial risks due to human factors (e.g. large population, rapid socio-economic growth, subsidence from excessive groundwater extraction) and natural factors (e.g. climate change including sea-level rise and land subsidence). It is clear that different countries and cities have their interpretation of SFRM, but this paper explores how policymakers can adopt "mixed options" to move towards long-term thinking about sustainability with social, economic, and environmental considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluvial and surge-tide extremes can occur synchronously resulting in compound flooding in estuaries, greatly intensifying the hazard. This flood risk has the potential to increase in the future as the frequency, phasing and/or intensity of these drivers change. Improved understanding of how extreme fluvial discharge and surge-tides interact will help inform future flood mitigation methodology. In this paper, therefore, we resolve for the first time intra-estuary sensitivities to fluvial and surge-tide extremes, for two contrasting UK estuaries (Humber and Dyfi). Model simulations at hyper-spatial resolution (< 50 m) using a 2D hydrodynamic model predicted compound flooding hazards based on: (1) present-day extreme events (worst on record); (2) present-day extreme events with shifted timings of the drivers to maximise flooding; and (3) modified drivers representing projected climate change. We found that in a small estuary with short-duration, high-intensity fluvial inputs (Dyfi), flood extent is sensitive to the relative timing of the fluvial and surge-tide drivers. In contrast, the relative timing of these drivers did not affect flooding in a larger estuary with a slower fluvial response to rainfall (Humber). In the Humber, extreme fluvial inputs during a compound hazard actually reduced maximum water depths in the outer estuary, compared with a surge-tide-only event. Projected future changes in these drivers by 2100 will increase compound flooding hazards: simulated sea-level rise scenarios predicted substantial and widespread flooding in both estuaries. However, projected increases in surge-tide behaved differently to sea-level rise of the same magnitude, resulting in a greater seawater influx and more flooding. Increased fluvial volumes were the weakest driver of estuarine flooding. In this paper we show how these interactions are complex and how the hydrodynamics vary considerably between different estuaries and sites within estuaries, making it difficult to generalise, use probabilistic or use 1D approaches for assessing compound flooding hazards. Hence, we contribute new knowledge and methods for catchment-to-coast impact modelling used for flood mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hoshino (1991) argued that the sea-level in the Jurassic period was at the present depth of 6,000 m, and that the sealevel rise was caused by the uplift of the sea floor including the volcanic activity of flood basalts as well as the uplift of the crust after the Jurassic period. In order to provide evidence for Hoshino's sea-level rise theory, this paper investigates the sites where shallow-water sediments and volcanic rocks of subaerial eruption were found in the drilling records from DSDP to ODP. As a result, 256 sites were recovered with sediments and rocks indicating such shallow-water or land. Based on their distribution and assuming that they did not subsident we can estimate that the sea-level was about 6,000 m in the Late Jurassic period, 5,200 m in Barremian, 4,100 m at the end of Albian, 3,800 m in Early Eocene, 3,400 m in Late Oligocene, 3,400 m in Middle Miocene, and 3,000 m lower at the end of Miocene, or even lower in respectively. This supports the Hoshino's sea-level rise theory. However, the thickness of the coral reef limestone at each period suggests that the sea-level position at each period was lower than the past sea-level position estimated from the results of deep-sea drilling. Therefore, a sea-level rise curve was created by accumulating the amount of coastal onlap in the Haq’s curve and assuming that the sea-level was 3,000 m lower than the present sea-level at the end of Miocene epoch. According to the new sea-level rise curve proposed in this paper, the position of the sea-level at the end of the Jurassic period may have been considerably lower, about 12 km below present sea-level. In other words, the sea-level may have risen by 12 km since the Jurassic period. Based on the drilling records and the geological structure of each area, the deep-sea floor of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans is thought to have been composed of the Proterozoic and Hercynian basement rocks until the end of the Paleozoic Era, submerged by sea-level rise due to flood basalts since Triassic, and deepened by large-scale sea-level rise since Cretaceous. On the other hand, the base of the deep-sea floor of the Pacific Ocean is likely to be composed of the Archean basements, which were submerged more than 6,000 m by volcanic activity of basaltic lava of the Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) mainly after the Late Jurassic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and climate change represent current threats for island states in the Pacific Ocean region. Next to global warming and the effects of Sea Level Rise, the resulting vulnerability of coastal offshore, shoreline, and oceanic ecosystems are additional factors that need to be considered urgently. As a coastal atoll area and part of the Pacific Small Island States, Tuvalu is now under threat with its cultural landscapes due to climate change impacts. The country and its landscapes surround an area of only 26 km2, where 11,810 people live in hostile climatic conditions. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change projected that Tuvalu would probably be the first country to sink underwater. The question arises about sustainable solutions for ongoing security and a habitable situation for people, culture, landscapes, and ecosystems. Unstable agricultural crop production, fishing, and coconuts cultivation are some of the challenges on the island. The exemplary derived polynomial curve of nine different islands and their islands' population displacement behavior shows up results of hostile conditions with six islands having lost their inhabitants, and only three islands' populations have increased. This study aims to analyze the overall situation of Tuvalu and find an alternative solution to safeguard Tuvaluan people, the island ecosystems and heritage, and cultural landscapes. Specific objectives of this study are the following: (1.) Understanding the theoretical concept of climate change impacts, sea-level rise impacts, the protection of Tuvaluan people, and the islands' unique biodiversity; (2.) Analyzing the socio-economic condition, livelihoods, culture, heritage, and environmental scenarios of Tuvalu; (3.) Giving potential recommendations for creating an international network, applied research, and training for the future development of ecosystems and cultural landscapes of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean. This paper analyzed the present affected situation of Tuvalu; it also highlighted socio-economic and livelihoods sustainability, future scenarios, and alternative suggestion to mitigate this hostile environment of Tuvalu. GIS applications for visualizing and analyzing environmental data were one of the appropriate tools for decision-makers to support long-term planning for Tuvalu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Academy/ Kent Akademisi is the property of ICAM NETWORK and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper summarizes the forest dynamics and carbon sequestration abilities of, as well as the influences of sea‐level rise on, Micronesian mangrove forests as revealed from long‐term studies (more than 25 years). Monitoring surveys of the permanent plots in the area's major mangrove communities revealed that the tree density decreased, while aboveground biomass increased. However, in the Rhizophora stylosa community characterized by densely developed stilt roots, the aboveground biomass temporarily decreased due to a decrease in old stilt roots, but it increased again by generating a large amount of new stilt roots. The highest aboveground biomass was estimated to be 895 Mg ha−1, which is the highest value of all the existing ground survey data from the tropics. Mangrove peat was deposited in the entire mangrove area, but its thickness differed according to the forest community, which indicated that the belowground stored carbon also differed depending on the community. In recent years, a rise in sea level exceeding 5 mm year−1 was observed in this region, and surface erosion occurred in the Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Sonneratia alba communities. On the other hand, in the R. stylosa and Rhizophora apiculata communities, the ground level rose due to the accumulation of mangrove peat. The temporal decrease in old stilt roots and the accelerated increase in new stilt roots observed in the R. stylosa community may also be an effect of sea‐level rise. Long‐term monitoring surveys in mangrove forests are thus effective in quickly catching the effects of sea‐level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tianjin is a coastal city of China. However, the continuous rise of the relative sea-level has brought huge hidden danger to Tianjin's economic and social development. The land subsidence is the most important factor that influences relative sea-level rise. By analyzing the current situation of subsidence in Tianjin through PS-InSAR, it was found that the subsidence rate of the southern plain of Tianjin is slowing down as a whole. In addition, Wuqing and Jinghai sedimentary areas as well as other several subsidence centers have been formed. By establishing a regular grid of land subsidence and ground water to construct a geo-weighted regression model (GWR), it was found that Wuqing sedimentary area as a whole is positively correlated with TCA. According to the relative sea-level change, it can be predicted that the natural coastline of Tianjin will recede by about 87 km2 in 20 years. Based on the research results above, this paper, by using machine-learning method (XGBoost), has evaluated Tianjin's urban safety and analyzed high-risk areas and main contributing factors. Potential risks to urban safety brought about by relative sea-level rise have been analyzed, which will improve the resilience of coastal areas to disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty of climate change's impacts hinders adaptation actions, particularly micro-scale urban design interventions. This paper proposes a sixfold urban design framework to assess and enhance the resilience of urban form to climate change, where urban form refers to the patterns of streets, buildings, and land uses. The framework is then applied to Long Bay in Negril, Jamaica–a coastal area that incorporates the complex interactions between urbanization and a highly vulnerable socio-ecological system to climate change-related hazards, primarily sea-level rise. Empirical evidence from 19 in-depth interviews with planning and design professionals and development actors, in situ observations, and morphological analyses reveal that Long Bay's current adaptation strategies heavily rely on bounce-back resilience measures that predominantly consider the impacts of extreme climatic events rather than slow-onset ones. Such strategies abet current tourism-driven development patterns while overlooking Long Bay's inherent abilities for generative transformation and incremental changes to meet climatic uncertainty. Instead, this study's findings highlight how generative urban form transformation would better equip Long Bay to cope with future uncertainty–climatic or other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost-effective coastal flood adaptation requires a realistic valuation of losses, costs and benefits considering the uncertainty of future flood projections and limited resources for adaptation. Here we present an approach to quantify the flood protection benefits of beaches accounting for the dynamic interaction of storm erosion, long-term shoreline evolution and flooding. We apply the method in Narrabeen-Collaroy (Australia) considering uncertainty in different shared socioeconomic pathways, sea-level rise projections, and beach conditions. By 2100, results show that failing to consider erosion can underestimate flood damage by a factor of 2 and maintaining present-day beach width can avoid 785 million AUD worth assets from flood damage. By 2050, the flood protection and recreational benefits of holding the current mean shoreline could be more than 150 times the cost of nourishment. Our results give insight on the benefits of beaches for adaptation and can help accelerate financial instruments for restoration. This paper presents a method for quantifying the benefits of beaches in reducing storm and long-term coastal flood risk. This method can contribute to cost-effective decision-making on climate change adaptation in many of the world's coasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immense impacts of tsunamis can inflict substantial damage on coastal infrastructure systems during their lifetime and lead to considerable economic loss. However, with the increasing intensity and variability of sea‐level rise due to climate change, evaluations of the life‐cycle tsunami risk associated with cumulative loss have become increasingly complex since tsunami hazards are time‐dependent. In addition, the number of earthquake events and the corresponding arrival times are substantially uncertain. Therefore, an accurate life‐cycle tsunami risk assessment methodology should be established to appropriately develop disaster mitigation measures. This paper provides a novel life‐cycle risk assessment of building portfolios subjected to tsunami hazards under non‐stationary sea‐level rise effects due to climate change. The cumulative loss of a building portfolio is evaluated through a compound renewal process based on earthquake interarrival time uncertainties and time‐dependent risk. The earthquake interarrival times are modeled using a non‐Poisson process based on historical data. Tsunami hazard curves that consider the effects of sea‐level rise, estimated based on climate models, are obtained with tsunami propagation analysis. The time‐variant annual risk is estimated based on reliability and building unit loss. Finally, a numerical procedure is proposed to estimate the life‐cycle tsunami risk of building portfolios. An illustrative example is provided by applying the framework to several municipalities in the Kochi Prefecture of Japan to assess the effects of climate change on the life‐cycle tsunami risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal areas are extremely sensitive to variations in environmental conditions. The interaction of marine and continental processes causes a high degree of dynamism, generating depositional formations of great value for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. This paper focuses on two pedostratigraphic deposits located under the current beach, in close proximity to archaeological tumuli located on Areoso Island (Ría de Arousa, NW Iberian Peninsula). Employing a geoarchaeological approach, sea-level rise, environmental conditions and human occupation over a 6000-year period are interpreted. The results of granulometric and mineralogical data, elemental composition and stratigraphic features, help to identify three successive environments: continental (rock weathering, soil formation and erosion); a transition to a coastal environment; and the establishment of full coastal conditions. The geomorphological evolution of the last 6.0 kyr BP has been controlled by climate, sea-level rise and human activity. The continental facies shows evidence of low sea-level up to 4.8 kyr BP and the first evidence of coastal processes after 3.2 kyr BP. These pedostratigraphic deposits located in an open coastal system improve the Holocene sea-level rise curve in the NW Iberian Peninsula and help to understand the context in which the most important archaeological structures on the island (the tumuli) began to be eroded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the physiography, geomorphological features, and sedimentary bedforms of the offshore Egadi Islands (Italy) have been illustrated and mapped through an integrated analysis of high-resolution bathymetric, seismo-acoustic, and sedimentological data. The study area is characterized by a wide, up to 25 km, continental shelf which is separated by a NNW-trending linear incision, the Marettimo Channel, along which several erosional and depositional features have been detected and mapped. Sedimentary prograding wedges were detected at water depths between 100–125 m along the shelf margin, which accumulated during the sea-level fall and lowstand stages of the last glacio-eustatic cycle (post- MIS 5.5). This study detected several slope breaks defining scarps across the continental shelf, which were interpreted as coastal cliffs that originated during the post-LGM eustatic sea-level rise. Several fields of different types of sedimentary bedforms, including 2-D and 3-D hydraulic dunes and sorted bedforms, were found across the continental shelf, providing evidence of a high hydrodynamic regime affecting the seafloor. Further on, this study recognized erosive and depositional features related to bottom currents (contourites) in the Marettimo Channel. These findings provide a better understanding of the morpho-sedimentary evolution of the Egadi Islands offshore in the latest Quaternary. Moreover, they offer essential scientific support for effectively managing the most valuable priority habitats for conservation, such as the Posidonia oceanica meadow and coralline algae bioconstructions (Coralligenous habitat). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cultural Studies of Science Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The proposed model integrates the techniques of inventory model, inexact two-stage stochastic programming, and interval-fuzzy mathematics programming into a general modelling framework to deal with multiple uncertainties and policy scenarios related to reservoir-based water allocation issues. Environmental systems models are essential for understanding the dynamics and mechanisms of various environmental issues (e.g., air pollution, water pollution, floods, droughts, and climate change). The paper entitled "An Inexact Inventory Theory-Based Water Resources Distribution Model for Yuecheng Reservoir, China" by Suo et al. proposes an inexact inventory theory-based water resources distribution model to help optimize the water allocation management practices. [Extracted from the article]

Regionalism poses a challenge to the work of the International Law Commission (ILC). The Commission, entrusted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with the "progressive development of international law and its codification", is tasked with identifying and elaborating universally accepted and acceptable rules of international law. The challenge posed by regionalism lies in its ambivalent role precisely in relation to the mandate of the ILC: on the one hand, a significant share of practice in international law is generated at the regional level. Since regional practice thus constitutes a substantial part of State practice, the ILC cannot avoid taking regional practice into account if it is to identify and develop common rules. On the other hand, regionalism often involves claims for special legal treatment based on the affiliation with a region; thus, deviations from precisely those general legal rules which the ILC seeks to codify and develop. The present contribution analyses how the Commission has approached regionalism in its previous work and identifies four approaches. It shows that each of these approaches suffers from shortcomings. At the same time, the current projects on General principles of law (GPL) and Sea-level rise in relation to international law possibly indicate the emergence of a more fruitful fifth approach. Based on this analysis, the present contribution shows that the practice of the ILC evinces two methodological challenges arising from regional plurality -, the challenge of equal regional representation and the challenge of regional exceptionalism, - and makes suggestions as to how to address these in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hazard zone methodology: The paper employs a hazard zone methodology, typically used for managing erosion risk to modern infrastructure, to assess and manage the risk to coastal archaeological heritage. • Coastal archaeological heritage at risk: Coastal archaeological heritage in Aotearoa/New Zealand is under threat from coastal erosion, with accelerated risk due to rising sea levels. • Projected sea-level rise impact: The study predicts that a relatively modest 20 cm of sea-level rise, expected by 2040, may put around 8 % (155) of coastal archaeological sites at risk, and a more significant 1 m of sea-level rise could threaten approximately 19 % (356) of sites. • Connection to indigenous communities: The coastal archaeological heritage is closely tied to Māori, the indigenous ancestral communities of Aotearoa/New Zealand. • Adaptive planning pathways: Scenarios are presented to assist stakeholders in assessing heritage risk, providing an opportunity for coastal managers to incorporate heritage considerations into adaptive planning pathways. Coastal archaeological heritage is in danger of being lost to coastal erosion, the risk of which is amplified by accelerating sea-level rise (SLR). In Aotearoa/New Zealand, coastal archaeological heritage is closely associated with indigenous ancestral communities, but our understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in coastal erosion risk for cultural heritage is limited. Coastal erosion hazard zones have typically been implemented to manage erosion risk to modern infrastructure at regional scales. In this study, we applied a hazard zone methodology in the context of coastal archaeological heritage for a selected region of Aotearoa (Te Tai Tokerau/Northland). Historical coastal change analyses reveal that most beaches in the region have been stable or slightly accretionary over the past ∼80 years, but a reversal of this trend is likely under the projected SLR, which is expressed in the coastal erosion hazard zones. Our analyses indicate that ∼8 % (155) of coastal archaeological sites in Te Tai Tokerau/Northland may be at risk of erosion with a relatively modest 20 cm of SLR, which is expected for the region by 2040, and ∼19 % (356) of sites are threatened by 1 m of SLR. Scenarios are presented that should assist a broad range of stakeholders to assess heritage risk and provide an opportunity for coastal managers to include heritage within adaptive planning pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skinner, W.K., 2024. Coastal hazard assessment from multidecadal profile response incorporating climate patterns and sea-level rise. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(3), 511–526. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. A new method for coastal hazard assessment is described and demonstrated by reference to a 40-year cross-shore profile record in Papamoa, New Zealand. It is based on a mathematical interpretation of the envelope within which long-term historic cross-shore profiles vary and from which, for the required assessment period, the statistically significant fully accreted-state and fully eroded-state profiles can be determined. The Monte Carlo method is used to derive stochastic outcomes for long-term trend (LTT) and sea-level rise (SLR) on the basis of correlations with, and a long term proxy for, a decadal-scale climate pattern, which in the example case is the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Sediment volumes for short-term fluctuation and the LTT are determined and conserved to reflect a consistent wave climate over the assessment period when appraising the effect of SLR. Dune biomass is accounted for when determining erosion scarp stability and hence the final extent of the current and future hazard zones. Results are presented in schematic form as excursions relative to a land benchmark and also as full end-state profiles extending from the dune backshore to the closure depth, with the latter determined by bar volume and profile. Various scenarios are appraised, including those that incorporate SLR predictions of the climate models of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The relative risk of various scenarios is benchmarked to the probalistic expected outcome to produce a risk-based, site-specific assessment of coastal hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Devonian System in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas is widely distributed, diverse in lithotypes and rich in fossils. It records the crucial processes of continuous subduction and reduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean in the northern hemisphere and the transformation of the Proto-Tethys Ocean into the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the southern hemisphere. Thus, it is of great significance for explaining the global paleogeographic evolution, tectonic activities and biodiversity changes during this critical period. The blocks on both sides of the southern Tienshan suture zone and the Longmu Co-Shuanghu-Changning-Menglian suture zone belong to different sedimentary systems and paleobiogeographic realms and regions, showing important tectonic paleogeographic partitioning significance. The two suture zones represent the main branches of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the Paleo-Tethys Ocean, respectively, and on this basis the Devonian System can be subdivided into three types: the Tienshan type, the Tethys type and the Gondwana type. Based on recent research progress on the Devonian stratigraphy and paleontology in combining provenance analysis and biotic characteristics in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas, this paper aims to establish the latest integrative stratigraphic framework and conduct paleogeographic reconstruction, providing foundation for exploring the geological evolution and dynamic mechanisms of various terranes and blocks in the northern margin of Gondwana. The results indicate that the North Qiangtang, South Qiangtang, Simao, Baoshan and Tengchong terranes, as well as the Himalaya Tethys Zone and the South China Block have affinities with the Indian Block, while the Lhasa Terrane has affinities with the Australian Block, and may be located between the South China and Australian blocks. In the Emsian (Early Devonian), the South China Block separated from the northern margin of Gondwana, a process that was accompanied by the opening of the Jinshajiang-Ailaoshan Ocean. In the Middle Devonian, the mid-oceanic ridge of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean expanded rapidly, corresponding with a global sea-level rise, the widespread development of carbonate platforms and nadir values of Devonian seawater strontium isotopes. By the Late Devonian, the Paleo-Tethys Ocean had reached a considerable size, leading to abundant occurrences of Upper Devonian radiolarian cherts in the Paleo-Tethys suture zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The devastating consequences of tsunamis on coastal infrastructure have highlighted the urgent need for effective disaster risk reduction strategies. To mitigate tsunami disasters, the insurance industry plays a vital role in implementing risk transfer measures by providing financial protection against asset damage. However, the current research on catastrophe insurance policies for coastal infrastructure lacks consideration of climate change effects. It is essential to take into account the non-stationary effects of sea-level rise to develop long-term tsunami disaster mitigation measures and promote socioeconomic resilience in coastal communities. This paper aims to provide an insurance portfolio optimization framework for coastal residential buildings subjected to tsunamis considering non-stationary sea-level rise effects based on a stochastic simulation approach. A spatiotemporal probabilistic sea-level rise hazard assessment is carried out by utilizing available climate models and considering several emission scenarios. Tsunami propagation analyses under various sea-level rise cases are performed to evaluate the time-variant tsunami hazard curves based on Monte Carlo simulation. A life cycle-based stochastic insurance claim model associated with the cumulative loss of building assets is developed based on a non-stationary compound renewal process. Finally, a sample average approximation method is leveraged to estimate the optimum basic insurance premium rate by maximizing the insurer's profit under a cost-constrained insurance purchase decision of homeowners. As a case study, the proposed framework is applied to multiple municipalities situated in the tsunami-prone region of Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Sea-level rise substantially decreases the maximum profits of tsunami insurers and increases the premium rate and ruin probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of the population and tourism industry, especially near the coast, is altering land use and deteriorating coastal resources. This contributes significantly in increasing the susceptibility of a coastal area to flooding and sea-level rise. Therefore, identifying vulnerable coastal areas through an integrated approach for comprehensive coastal development and realistic management policies is pivotal. This paper presents a method for assessing coastal vulnerability by employing selected physical and human indices. It was applied to the Mandarmani–Dadanpatrabar coastal sector of West Bengal, where the issue of rapid tourism growth at the expense of coastal resources is a major concern. For the assessment of coastal vulnerability, the entire length of the study area was divided into 64 equal segments. A set of six physical variables (shoreline change, beach width, coastal slope, dune discontinuity, vegetation, and coastal geomorphology) and three human variables (land use land cover, coastal protection, and distance of road) were measured using fieldwork and remote sensing and geographical information system. Subsequently, the physical and human vulnerability was calculated and then combined to create an integrated coastal vulnerability index (ICVI). While the majority of the coast is low-to-moderately vulnerable, it was observed that high vulnerability was present in areas where physical resources were rapidly exploited for the growth of tourism. This study emphasizes the need of implementing existing coastal regulation zone guidelines in a more realistic way to prevent loss of assets and promote integrated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most recent bathymetric maps of Tampa Bay, Florida produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (Tyler, D.J., et. al., 2007; https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1051/pdf/OF07-1051_508.pdf and 2018; https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/bathymetric-map-tampa-bay) were constructed to support the development of hydrodynamic and sediment transport models by merging many disparate datasets. The topographic data were derived from the National Elevation Dataset (NED) and much of the bathymetric data came from the GEOphysical DAta System (GEODAS) at the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). The nearshore data were replaced with bathymetric data acquired in 2003 and 2004 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL). While these data are publicly available, merging disparate datasets can sometimes produce irregular results and are not particularly well suited for shoreline mapping nor for measuring sea-level rise or other coastal features. While these existing maps represent the "best available" at the time, modern survey techniques using lidar (light detection and ranging) can provide a more holistic and uniform representation of the Bay, suitable for shoreline mapping and sea-level rise measurements. In support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Shoreline Mapping Program, in 2019 and 2021, NOAA tasked Dewberry to obtain Quality Level (QL) QL2B topobathymetric lidar for northern and southern Tampa Bay, respectively. This paper highlights the details of those topobathymetric lidar studies, preliminary shoreline mapping and some "lessons learned" while mapping the Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inundation dynamics coupled with seasonal information is critical to study the wetland environment. Analyses based on remotely sensed data are the most effective means to monitor and investigate wetland inundation dynamics. For the first time, this study deployed an automated thresholding method to quantify and compare the annual inundation characteristics in dry and wet seasons in the Everglades, using Landsat imagery in Google Earth Engine (GEE). This research presents the long-term time series maps from 2002 to 2021, with a comprehensive spatiotemporal depiction of inundation. In this paper, we bridged the research gap of space-time analysis for multi-season inundation dynamics, which is urgently needed for the Everglades wetland. Within a GIS-based framework, we integrated statistical models, such as Mann–Kendall and Sen's Slope tests, to track the evolutionary trend of seasonal inundation dynamics. The spatiotemporal analyses highlight the significant differences in wet and dry seasons through time and space. The stationary or permanent inundation is more likely to be distributed along the coastal regions (Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay) of the Everglades, presenting a warning regarding their vulnerability to sea level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]