UTILISING GEOSCIENTIFIC INSIGHTS INTO PAST COASTAL HAZARD EVENTS FOR COASTAL ENGINEERING

Abstract

People, infrastructure and ecological systems at the coast are vulnerable to several coastal hazards, most of which have, or will, become more serious with changing climate. Climate change is likely to affect rainfall and climate patterns, potentially intensifying and changing seasonal patterns and frequency of storms. Sea-level rise associated with climate change will also impact much of the coastal zone. Despite the threat of coastal disasters, and the projections of increasing hazards under a changing climate, coastal engineering development must continue unabated, leaving many communities at risk of catastrophic losses. For most cities historical events indicate a considerable risk and all coastal communities must live with a certain risk of coastal hazards, but informed coastal engineering can minimize the potential for fatalities and economic loss, and therefore must be undertaken. Here I investigate storms and tsunamis and 1. address the options for obtaining longer records of events and 2. examine the need for incorporating uncertainties of future changes in climate, sea level and and coastal environments.