Responding to the risks from climate change on the coast
The Good Practice Guide provides advice and guidance on sustainable coastal risk management for local and regional authorities responsible for managing natural hazards at the coast. The publication describes the physical processes of coastal change and considers the influence of human settlements and coastal defence structures. It includes an account of the nature and scale of coastal risks and current frameworks for monitoring, assessing and managing of coastal risks. The guide highlights state-of-the-art examples of good practice in risk reduction from around Europe. The Good Practice Guide considers the impacts of climate change and provides advice on integrating coastal risk mapping into the planning system, through the use of planning policy guidance. A further topic that is addressed is the issue of engaging the local community in risk management and promoting a co-ordinated response to coastal risks. The Training Pack and the accompanying CD-Rom and DVD present an innovative methodology for identifying and mapping coastal evolution and risks in regional study areas. The maps provide a generic overview of the coastline in terms of current and future hazard and risk allowing ’hotspots’ of future hazard activity to be identified. The regional approach can be used by planners, engineers, coastal managers and decision-makers to plan for the future and prioritise resources accordingly. An evaluation of the likely costs associated with increasing coastal hazards in a changing climate promotes a precautionary approach to coastal risk management. By preparing for the impacts of climate change at the coast and implementing strategies of adaptation, future risk to coastal communities may be reduced. However, in order to effectively implement sustainable strategies for the future, it is necessary to have political support and appropriate legal frameworks in place. This Training Pack demonstrates an approach to allow users to identify areas of high risk at the coast, in view of the impacts of climate change.