Consequence of coastal recession and coastal flooding 4.1

What are the economic costs for housing from coastal recession

Cost of land and repairing/ rebuilding homes

What are the economic costs for businesses from costal recession

Destruction and damage to businesses causes loss of billion£ in profits and rebuilding

What are the economic costs for agricultural land from coastal recession

Loss of productive land leads to food shortages, loss of income from crop/ livestock sales

What are the economic costs for infrastructure from coastal recession

Roads, power stations are costly to rebuild/ repair after flooding

What are the social costs for relocation from coastal recession

Increasing numbers of properties will be at risk forcing people to relocate their homes

What are the social costs for loss of livelihood from coastal recession

• income for farmers lost due to loss of livestock/ crops flooding

• Loss of jobs when business are affected

What are the social costs of amenity value from coastal recession

Areas of coastal with amenity value are at risk of coastal flooding

Economic & social costs in high populated areas

• leads to higher spending on costal defences due to cost- benefit analysis

• This can lead to conflict between different stakeholders

Why do developed countries have higher economic losses

their infrastructure and businesses have higher value due to quality of materials and tech used.

Case study Bangladesh (developing country)- about

• Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh in 2007, bringing storm surge of 6m high, heavy rain.

• Coastal districts and offshore island most vulnerable

Case study Bangladesh (developing country)- why is it at risk of flooding

• worlds most densly populated country

• 46% of population live in places less than 10m above sea level

• Lies on floodplains of 3 major rivers

Case study Bangladesh (developing country)- increasing flood risk

Subsidence- clearing/ draining land for cultivation and building embankments caused some estuarine islands to shrink/subside by 1.7m.

• B has built 4000km of embankments against storm surges. In 2014 B spent $400mill to upgrade them.

• Embankments prevent sediment from building up, causing the land to sink

Removing vegetation- 70% of Bangladesh mangrove-forested coastline has retreated by 200m a year due to erosion, rising sea levels, removal of mangroves.

• Mangroves important to give protection/ shelter against strong winds, floods by absorbing tidal surges.

Case study Bangladesh (developing country)- impacts

• storm surge breached costal embankments causing flooding in low lying areas.

• high winds and floods damaged roads, infrastructure

• Drinking water was contaminated by debris

Case study UK (developed country)- about

• 2013 5-6th UK had major storms affecting east coast of UK

• Caused by intense low pressure, high seasonal tides

Case study UK (developed country)- impacts

• Strong winds( 200km/hr in Scotland)

• 1400 homes flooded

• Storm surge reached 3.7m above sea level

• 2 died

• Thames barrier closed to protect London

• damage of £100mill

Environmental refugees caused by climate change

• Low lying nations like Maldives particularly vulnerable 50% live 1m above sea level

• Environmental refugees (ER) will be a problem regardless of country’s development

• In Bangladesh, loss of land due to sea level rise could lead to 20mill ER

Climate change affecting more storms

• Warmer ocean temps, higher sea levels will make hurricanes more intense, stronger winds, more rain

• In North Atlantic, avg hurricane increased from 6 to 8.

• But predications say in some areas fewer storms will develop

Climate change affecting flooding

• It will increase risk of coastal flooding in low lying areas

• IPCC predicted by 2100, millions of ppl will abandon coastal zones due to rising sea levels as surges will become higher