Climate Change and the Future Impacts of Storm-Surge Disasters in Developing Countries

Dasgupta, Susmita; Laplante, Benoı̂t; Murray, Siobhan; Wheeler, David

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1479650

Cited by 49 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…According to Dasgupta et al (2009), out of ten cities that are vulnerable to storm surges, almost half of them are situated in the SEA countries, such as (alphabetically) Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Along the Bangladesh coast itself, tropical storms of 1876, 1891, 1970 and 1991, and the subsequent surges taken a toll of 100,000 lives (Gönnert et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Storm surges in the Singapore Strait due to winds in the South China Sea

et al. 2012

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Among the semi-enclosed basins of the world ocean, the South China Sea (SCS) is unique in its configuration as it lies under the main southwest-northeast pathway of the seasonal monsoons. The northeast (NE) monsoon (November-February) and southwest (SW) monsoon (June-August) dominate the large-scale sea level dynamics of the SCS. Sunda Shelf at the southwest part of SCS tends to amplify Sea Level Anomalies (SLAs) generated by winds over the sea. The entire region, bounded by Gulf of Thailand on the north, Karimata Strait on the south, east cost of Peninsular Malaysia on the west, and break of Sunda Shelf on the east, could experience positive or negative SLAs depending on the wind direction and speed. Strong sea level surges during NE monsoon, if coincide with spring tide, usually lead to coastal floods in the region. To understand the phenomena, we analyzed the wind-driven sea level anomalies focusing on Singapore Strait (SS), laying at the most southwest point of the region. An analysis of Tanjong Pagar tide gauge data in the SS, as well as satellite altimetry and reanalyzed wind in the region, reveals that the wind over central part of SCS is arguably the most important factor determining the observed variability of SLAs at hourly to monthly scales. Climatological SLAs in SS are found to be positive, and of the order of 30 cm during NE monsoon, but negative, and of the order of 20 cm during SW monsoon. The largest anomalies are associated with intensified winds during NE monsoon, with historical highs exceeding 50 cm. At the hourly and daily timescales, SLA magnitude is correlated with the NE wind speed over central part of SCS with an average time lag of 36-42 h. An exact solution is derived by approximating the elongated SCS shape with one-dimensional two-step channel. The solution is utilized to derive simple model connecting SLAs in SS with the wind speeds over central part of SCS. Due to delay of P. Tkalich (&)

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Storm surges in the Singapore Strait due to winds in the South China Sea

et al. 2012

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“…It is extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise and more intense tropical storms (EPA Guyana, 2002;ECLAC, 2005;Dalrymple, 2006;Oxfam Guyana, 2008;Dasgupta, Laplante, Murray, & Wheeler, 2009;Government of Guyana, 2010), and has one of the lowest per capita GDPs in the Western Hemisphere (under USD 3000 in 2010 according to World Bank figures). To appreciate Guyana's adaptation challenges, it is necessary to first establish how the coastal landscape was constructed, how it functions and how it has failed in recent years.…”

Section: Clear Present and Future Danger: Guyana's Coastal Landscape mentioning

confidence: 99%

The challenge of climate change adaptation in Guyana

Hickey

Weis

2012

Climate and Development

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Climate change threatens to bring enormous infrastructural challenges for low-lying regions, and the capacity for adaptation is highly uneven on a global scale. Guyana, a developing country in South America, is highly susceptible to sea-level rise and flooding, because much of the population lives at or below sea level and depends upon old and decaying coastal infrastructure. This article examines the efforts of the Guyanese state to prioritize climate change adaptation, drawing from budgetary and documentary analyses and in-depth interviews with key informants in pertinent government ministries and non-governmental organizations. The Guyana government clearly recognizes the country's acute vulnerability to climate change -which has been accentuated by multiple recent flood events -and focuses on the need for vast infrastructural rehabilitation and enhancement as the main adaptation priority. However, while Guyana has emerged as a champion of climate change mitigation through averted deforestation, government investment in adaptation remains relatively small, and although a limited budget is one of the reasons for this, a number of other impediments complicate the issue. These include limited technical skills, low public awareness and the longer time-scale of threats relative to other national priorities. Ultimately, this case highlights some of the formidable challenges which poor countries face in prioritizing investments in adaptation.

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“…Densely populated coastal regions face a serious threat from sea-level rise due to climate change (Dasgupta and Laplante 2009). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) has highlighted with high confidence that in the absence of adaptation, "locations currently experiencing adverse impacts such as coastal erosion and inundation will continue to do so in the future due to increasing sea levels" (IPCC 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dyke design, floodplain restoration and mangrove co-management as parts of an area coastal protection strategy for the mud coasts of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Albers¹,

Schmitt

2015

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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The dynamic coastlines in the Lower Mekong Delta of Vietnam are threatened by the impacts of climate change, particularly by the increased intensity and frequency of storms and floods, as well as by rising sea levels. The most effective coastal protection systems consist of different elements arranged in series, for instance natural floodplains vegetated with mangroves and a sound dyke line. However, the unsustainable use of natural resources and development in the coastal zone are threatening the protection function of the mangrove forest belt. In sites where severe erosion has destroyed the mangrove belt, restoration of floodplains and mangrove rehabilitation is only possible after the wave energy has been reduced by physical barriers. This can be achieved with bamboo fences, which reduce erosion and stimulate sedimentation. Restoration of the eroded floodplains creates the preconditions for rehabilitation of the destroyed mangrove forest. Mangrove management is an important element of an area costal protection strategy.

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Climate Change and the Future Impacts of Storm-Surge Disasters in Developing Countries

Cited by 49 publications

References 21 publications

Storm surges in the Singapore Strait due to winds in the South China Sea

Storm surges in the Singapore Strait due to winds in the South China Sea

The challenge of climate change adaptation in Guyana

Dyke design, floodplain restoration and mangrove co-management as parts of an area coastal protection strategy for the mud coasts of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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