Search

Abstract Sea-level rise (SLR) has drawn unprecedented attention from coastal communities around the world. In fact, many are already being affected and, in response, SLR vulnerability assessments have increasingly emerged in the US as the local communities' first attempt on the adaptation planning agenda. However, to date, little is known about these early planning endeavors in terms of how vulnerability is conceptualized and operationalized. By reviewing the current local SLR vulnerability assessments in the US, we find that most are only focusing on their biophysical exposure to SLR overlooking other important vulnerability factors including sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The limited number of SLR scenarios and the lack of consideration for extreme events are also considered as the major deficiencies. To fill these gaps, we propose a conceptual vulnerability assessment framework to operationalize the full concept of vulnerability and test it through a case study in the Tampa Bay region, Florida. By comparing the vulnerability results of the common practice with our proposed framework, we find large variances in the resulting findings stressing the importance of selecting the proper assessment approach. This paper finally concludes with urban planning and governance implications and future research directions. Coastal planner and managers wanting to improve their understanding of the communities' vulnerability to SLR will benefit from this study. Highlights • How coastal localities conceptualize and assess vulnerability varies. • Most of the existing sea-level rise vulnerability assessments only consider exposure. • A conceptual sea-level rise vulnerability assessment framework is developed. • The assessment approach can significantly affect vulnerability findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and especially sea level rise are posing unprecedented pressure on coastal communities through enhanced coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion. Thus, adapting to its impacts has drawn global attention. Since the cost-efficiency of adaptation alternatives is crucial in decision making, accurately estimating the economic cost of sea level rise is an imperative task for coastal planners and managers. This study employed a spatial hedonic approach to estimate the economic cost due to inundation by future sea level rise. The applied methodology provides better estimates of the economic losses due to sea level rise by accounting for lost coastal amenities, and the results generated can also be utilized for cost-benefit analysis. In 2050, it is estimated that the inundation of 3-foot sea level rise could cost Hillsborough and Pinellas County over 300 and 900 million dollars respectively for the real estate market alone. Local coastal planners and managers may find this methodology useful in estimating the potential economic cost due to sea level rise and support making adaptation decisions. We also stressed the importance of such studies to support local decision making and enhance adaptation planning for the climate change and sea level rise in the coastal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]