From perils to preparedness: Decoding coastal hazard risks on Kerala’s central coast through the IPCC framework

Mattada Sreelakshmi, Sanjay Balachandran, Fathima Abdurazak, Girish Gopinath and Shijo Joseph ()
Additional contact information
Mattada Sreelakshmi: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies
Sanjay Balachandran: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies
Fathima Abdurazak: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies
Girish Gopinath: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies
Shijo Joseph: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2024, vol. 120, issue 9, No 23, 8639-8666

Abstract: Abstract The coastal zones are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, rich in resources, supporting livelihoods and driving economies. The thickly populated coastal stretches of Kerala are grappling with multiple threats in the form of coastal hazards such as sea level rise, high waves, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding. To address these threats, a comprehensive multi-risk approach is adopted based on the Fifth and Sixth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in which risk is conceived as a function of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. The study assesses and map the risks associated with coastal hazards on the central coast of Kerala by developing a composite disaster risk index that integrates physical, and socioeconomic variables specific to the study area. Under the hazard component, indicators such as sea level rise, precipitation intensity, shoreline change rate, proximity to cyclone tracks, storm surge height, and frequency of sea surges are considered. Vulnerability indicators encompass population density and land use/land cover, while exposure indicators include elevation, slope, mean significant wave height, and drainage density. The risk assessment indicates varying levels of risk across the study area, with 2% coming under very high risk zone, 6% under high risk zone, 21% under medium risk zone, 43% under low risk, and 28% under very low risk. These findings help coastal planners and managers with effective disaster management and adaptation strategies.

Keywords: Central Kerala coast; Coastal hazards; Disaster risk; Exposure; India; Vulnerability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-024-06543-y Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:120:y:2024:i:9:d:10.1007_s11069-024-06543-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/11069

DOI: 10.1007/s11069-024-06543-y

Access Statistics for this article

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards is currently edited by Thomas Glade, Tad S. Murty and Vladimír Schenk

More articles in Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards from Springer, International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().