Title: Social-ecological vulnerability and risk of coastal flooding and erosion
Journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105286
Abstract: This study presents a global comprehensive vulnerability and risk assessment of social-ecological systems to flooding and erosion in 136 major coastal cities. The risk index was estimated using an indicator-based risk assessment approach, combining hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. The results show that cities exhibiting greater risk are mostly in Asia, while cities with lower risk are mainly in Africa, Europe, and North America. Approximately 54 million people and US$ 3,055 billion worth of assets are vulnerable to coastal hazards in 136 cities. Asian cities demonstrate a higher level of population exposure, while North American cities have higher asset exposure. Furthermore, the results also suggest that cities with coastal ecosystems and integrated nature-based solutions (NbS) in flood and erosion management plans tend to have lower risk levels than average. The paper emphasizes the importance of integrating NbS for flood and erosion risk management for adapting to climate change.
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