Climate change and the coast : building resilient communities

580 Pages·2015·63.902 MB·English

by  Bruce C Glavovic, Robert Kay, P Mick Kelly, Ailbhe Travers

Glavovic
“This wide-ranging set of essays reveals both the successes as well as the difficulties
of coping with coastal change so that local economies are safeguarded and fairness of Kelly Climate Change
Kay
adaptation for present and future residents are guaranteed. “
Travers
- Tim O’Riordan, Emeritus Professor, University of East Anglia, UK
“This is an important volume that is unique in its breadth of case studies, authoritative C and the Coast
authors, and comprehensive coverage of the science and governance of adaptation to
climate change on the coast. It is practically focussed and provides the reader with a l
vwide range of examples of adaptation processes from around the world.” i
m
— Jon Barnett, School of Geography, The University of Melbourne Building Resilient Communities
“The book is not prescriptive in its conclusions – it encourages diversity – but it is clear
a
that living with risk will be an increasingly central element of life and development planning
on the coast.” t
— Mark Pelling, King’s College London e

C
Coastal communities are at the frontline of a changing climate. Escalating problems
created by sea-level rise, a greater number of severe coastal storms and other repercussions
h
of climate change will exacerbate already pervasive impacts resulting from rapid coastal
population growth and intensification of development. To prosper in the coming decades,
a
coastal communities need to build their adaptive capacity and resilience.
n
Telling the stories of real-world communities in a wide range of coastal settings, including
America’s Gulf of Mexico coast, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, The Maldives, southern
g
Africa, Bangladesh and Vietnam, the case studies in this book reveal a rich diversity of adap-
tation approaches. e
A number of common themes emerge that indicate opportunities, barriers and on-ground

realities for progressing adaptation at the coast. Together, they highlight the need to
a
consciously reflect on current circumstances, contemplate future prospects and delib-
erately choose pathways that are attuned to the changing circumstances climate change n
will bring to coastal regions. This process is termed ‘reflexive adaptation’, capturing
the principle of critical self-reflection and self-correction in the face of adversity, uncertainty, d
surprise and contestation.

This book will be of interest to all who are concerned about the future of our coastal com- t
munities. It shows what has succeeded and what has failed around the world, where h
there are opportunities to be grasped and pitfalls to be avoided. It will be invaluable
to those involved in enabling adaptation to climate change, including policy-makers, coastal e
managers, day-to-day decision-makers, students and researchers.

C
Bruce C. Glavovic holds the EQC Chair in Natural Hazards Planning at Massey
o
University, New Zealand. Mick Kelly is a consultant with Tanelorn Associates based
in New Zealand and is former Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Environmental
a
Sciences at University of Eatst Anglia, UK. Robert Kay is Principal Consultant of Coastal Bruce C. Glavovic • Mick Kelly
Zone Management Pty (Ltd) and of Adaptive Futures in Australia. Ailbhe Travers is a s
coastal geomorphologist based in Perth, Australia.
Robert Kay • Ailbhe Travers
t
RU54600
ISBN: 978-0-415-46487-1
90000
9 780415 464871
RU54600_Cover_mech.indd All Pages 12/17/14 10:22 AM

Climate Change
and the Coast
Building Resilient Communities

Climate Change
and the Coast
Building Resilient Communities
Bruce C. Glavovic • Mick Kelly
Robert Kay • Ailbhe Travers
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20141209
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-8858-2 (eBook - PDF)
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Bruce dedicates this book to Peter and Faith Glavovic
Mick thanks Sarah for her patience and her sage advice
Robert dedicates this book to Lizzy Kay
Ailbhe dedicates this book to Lily

Contents
Foreword xix
Preface xxi
Acknowledgments xxiii
Editors xxv
Contributors xxvii
Part I
Coastal communities and the climate change imperative 1
1 Introduction 3
BRUCE C. GLAVOVIC, P. MICK KELLY, ROBERT KAY, AND AILBHE TRAVERS
Aim of the book 3
A dynamic environment under siege 4
On the frontline of a changing climate 9
Learning from the experience of coastal communities 13
Structure of the book 19
References 26
2 Climate drivers in the coastal zone 29
P. MICK KELLY
Introduction 29
Global trends in temperature and sea level 30
At the local level 39
Toward the fifth IPCC assessment 41
Planning for an uncertain future 43
Postscript 44
Acknowledgment 45
References 45
vii
viii Contents
3 On the frontline in the Anthropocene: Adapting
to climate change through deliberative coastal governance 51
BRUCE C. GLAVOVIC
Introduction 51
The stormy seas of the Anthropocene 52
The frontline of the sustainability struggle 53
Waves of adversity, layers of resilience 53
Waves of adversity 53
The super-wicked problem of climate change 56
Layers of resilience 57
Climate change adaptation: Practice, limits, and barriers 63
Evolving adaptation practices 64
From adaptation impacts and
options to adaptation pathways 64
Adaptation in practice 66
Adaptation limits, barriers, and enablers 67
Coastal governance, climate risk,
and adapting to climate change 69
From coastal zone management to coastal governance 69
ICM and coastal governance as a framework
for building adaptive capacity and resilience 72
Climate risk at the coast 75
Breaking the impasse 77
Charting a safe passage in stormy seas: Deliberative
coastal governance 82
Conclusion 87
Acknowledgments 88
References 89
Part II
Climate change and the coastal zone: North america 101
4 Social-ecological change in Canada’s Arctic: Coping,
adapting, and learning for an uncertain future 103
DEREK ARMITAGE
Introduction 103
Converging threats in the Canadian Arctic 106
Coping and adapting: Then and now 111