A global strategy for protecting vulnerable coastal populations

Barbier, E.B. | Science | 2014 | Peer Reviewed | Policy brief | http://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6202/1250

Abstract

The 2014 Working Group II report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that low-lying coastal areas are increasingly exposed to risks from sea-level rise, flooding, and extreme storm events (1). Low-lying coasts of developing countries in particular face two types of vulnerability: (i) a lack of capacity to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters and (ii) declining protection for people and property as coastal habitats disappear. A science-based global strategy for protecting coastal populations should address both sources of vulnerability, through investments in short-run emergency response and long-term coastal adaptation.