Enhancing storm surge resilience for coastal habitat: A framework to support sustainable development

Karthik, Anitha Devi

Abstract

More than 2.4 billion people live within 100 km of the sea coastline. Between 2016-2019 there has been a rising trend in tropical cyclone’s intensity and the frequency. Such cyclone events irrespective of their hurricane categorisation have persistently triggered coastal flooding such as storm surges of at least 7 ft (2 m). Over this period disaster losses from tropical cyclones have been estimated as US$ 343 billion, with over 3,333 deaths. A review of previous studies found that 47% of the Atlantic Cyclone’s deaths were caused by storm surges-triggered by hurricanes and not just by hurricanes themselves. The unique characteristics of storm surge and the uncertainty coupled with the lack of hurricane intensity prediction potentially leave coastal communities and the infrastructure directly exposed to the socioeconomic risk. The aim of this research is to develop a framework which helps enhance the resilience of coastal habitat to storm surge hazard. The proposed framework considers the adaptive capacity of developing countries, and its structure is developed by reviewing the current practices and strategies of disaster management for storm surge hazard triggered by tropical cyclones identifying the gaps and challenges. A framework approach could support the future resilience, reducing the disaster losses, both in terms of lives and in terms of socioeconomic, and environmental impacts of countries. This research fits within the wider knowledge field of disaster risk management and sustainable community’s enhancement adopts a qualitative exploratory research design based on case study methodology. The study focused on the implementation of four main disaster phases such as the (i) preparedness (ii) response (iii) recovery and (iv) mitigation of the disaster risk management (DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) which had occurred from different events chosen for the case study and had occurred between 2000-2017. The examination of individual case studies and the cross-case syntheses of the cases resulted in identifying the commonalities and obtain insights into the DRM practices and governance in various countries. Gaps within current DRM strategies and their practices before, during and after the occurrence of the disaster were also identified which has assisted in the recommendations within this study. The findings then led to the proposal of the Disaster Adaptation to Mitigate Storm Surge (DAMSS) framework and guidelines for best practices. The findings and suggested approaches may also help governments, planners, engineers, builders, forecasters, emergency managers, relief workers, regional bodies, insurance, civil protection organisations, public and private officials of all the developing countries, to reduce future losses, where there is not the same supportive development infrastructure.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 15, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 15, 2021
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17869/enu.2021.2813173
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2813173
• Award Date: Jul 31, 2021