Vulnerability of coastal defences to climate change.

This article describes the changes in the vulnerability of coastal defenses between the present day and the year 2075. A climate model was used to simulate the atmospheric forcing in each scenario. Climate change will alter wave and water level conditions and hence affect the vulnerability of coastal defense structures. The likely changes in vulnerability are important to the stakeholders in new and existing coastal defense structures, as decision-makers may reasonably be expected to include the probable effects of climate change in their planning processes.