Using Coastal Erosion Disadvantage Maps as a Climate Change and Strategic Urban Planning Tool for Scotland

Dunkley, R. , MacDonell, C. , Naylor, L. A. , Muir, F. M.E. , Fitton, J., Rennie, A., Hansom, J. and Hurst, M. (2021) Using Coastal Erosion Disadvantage Maps as a Climate Change and Strategic Urban Planning Tool for Scotland. Built Environment and Net Zero – A COP26 Conference from the Centre for Sustainable Solutions, 11 Nov 2021.

Abstract

Despite accelerated rates of coastal erosion and growing coastal populations, global understanding of the relative resilience of communities to coastal erosion is limited yet social justice and climate justice are key emerging issues of concern for governments. For the first time in the UK, using Scotland as an exemplar, this work aims to couple anticipated erosion risk with consideration of the social vulnerability of Scotland’s coastal communities, to produce Coastal Erosion Disadvantage maps. A combination of Dynamic Coast erosion data, the latest Census data from 2011, the latest data from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (2016 & 2020) and academic and policy literature concerning coastal erosion and flooding vulnerability, were used to create a Social Vulnerability Classification Index (SVCI) using a series of deprivation and context-specific indicators. We report that coastal communities have a slightly higher proportion of more socially vulnerable groups compared with the Scottish average with spatial variations in Coastal Erosion Disadvantage (e.g. East Lothian, South Ayrshire and Argyll & Bute have higher vulnerability). The maps show that under an IPCC “High Emissions Scenario” (HES RCP8.5), and assuming no future maintenance of coastal defences, 37% of the residential property anticipated to be affected by coastal erosion are within the top three SCVI vulnerability categories. In addition, 67% percent of socially vulnerable properties that are anticipated to be at coastal erosion risk by 2050, are currently undefended. We recommend that this initial assessment is used by planners as a catalyst of further in-depth place-based assessments of social vulnerability to erosion for current and future planned developments in at risk communities, to help society become ‘sea level wise’.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Naylor, Dr Larissa and MacDonell, Mr Craig and Hansom, Dr James and Rennie, Dr Alistair and Fitton, Mr James and Muir, Miss Freya and Hurst, Dr Martin and Dunkley, Dr Ria
• Authors: Dunkley, R., MacDonell, C., Naylor, L. A., Muir, F. M.E., Fitton, J., Rennie, A., Hansom, J., and Hurst, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Creativity Culture and Faith; College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Pedagogy, Praxis & Faith

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