Critical Insights in Climate Change

Climate-related Hazards in Coastal Urban Areas: Tools and Approaches to Strengthen Resilience to Climate Change

Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and are expected to face increased human pressure over the coming decades. Challenges such as sea-level rise, storm surges, flooding, extreme precipitation events, and coastal erosion are just a few of the issues that coastal communities face globally. Furthermore, other natural climate-related hazards, including landslides, strong winds, droughts, heatwaves, and cold spells, can also significantly impact these regions. Future studies on coastal impacts raise new questions about the spatial and temporal distribution of these effects and the effectiveness of adaptation measures. Enhancing the understanding of the complex dynamics of climate change impacts in low-lying coastal areas is crucial for hazard assessment and the development of sustainable and robust mitigation and adaptation solutions for vulnerable urban areas.

This interdisciplinary Article Collection deals with climate-related hazards in coastal regions under climate and on the methods and tools to address the physical and socioeconomic consequences of these extreme events. We particularly encourage studies on: i) the historical, baseline and future prediction/assessment of coastal hazards and related risks, ii) the use of climate and marine services, models and data to develop urban-scale hazard modelling and scenarios, iii) the application of smart technologies to monitor and control climate resilience (e.g., artificial intelligence, digital twins, low-cost sensors, Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-Based Approach), vi) participative approaches (e.g., living labs, citizen science), and vi) guidelines and strategies (e.g., policies, coastal zone management plans) to strengthen economic resilience, enhance citizen engagement and assist decision-making that fosters resilience and adaptation in coastal regions.