Economic strategies for coastal disaster risk reduction: A case study of Exmouth, Western Australia
Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Recent major natural disasters in Australia have highlighted how some of the economic costs of living in risk-prone areas are borne by the rest of society.This study used the town of Exmouth, in north-western Australia, to investigate economic strategies for coastal disaster risk reduction, as it typifies expanding development in coastal areas prone to extreme weather events.Using a GIS, coastal inundation scenarios from cyclonic storm-surge were investigated relative to coastal property, infrastructure and shire planning.It showed that some areas developed in the past decade are at high risk of storm-surge inundation.There has been a loss of disastermitigating ecosystem functions as well as increased risk to previously unaffected areas.The extent to which risk perceptions of cyclonic storm-surge inundation and flooding influenced the price buyers paid for residential property in Exmouth over the period 1988-2010 was examined using a Hedonic Price Model.This incorporated dwelling variables, proximity to the coast, cyclone Vance storm-surge and 1-in-100 year flood levels and indicated that prices did not reflect the real societal cost of risk.To internalize these costs, a mandatory private insurance scheme for high-risk properties (with a time-phased government subsidy) and penalties for local councils undertaking new high-risk developments are proposed.Further, a hybrid economic instrument aimed at correcting the market failure in coastal land which comprises an environmental offset by developers, a propertyowner tax and special disaster risk mitigation fund, is also proposed.This study is highly relevant in view of the planned revision of the Western Australian Coastal Planning Policy, the expansion of industry along the coast of northern Australia and the predicted effects of climate change on sea levels and extreme weather events.coastal disaster is considered to include an event that is caused by natural forces of nature.While the impact of the disaster may be indirectly exacerbated by anthropogenic impacts like climate change, the direct source of devastation will be as a result of a naturally occurring phenomenon. Cyclonic storm-surge inundationThe term 'cyclonic storm-surge inundation', as used in this thesis, pertains to landward movement of seawater under the influence of low barometric pressure, very strong winds and high waves associated with tropical revolving storms (cyclones) (Beer 1997).This is distinguished from riverine or inland flooding, flash flooding, storm water and rainfall run-off.While a cyclone can also result in heavy including the economic costs and speed of recovery, level of future vulnerability and how the pattern of urban reconstruction changed the functional zonation, social stratification and access to public urban amenities.Taking a geographic approach to coastal occupation problems, Burton et al. (1977) analysed risk using a typology of coastal occupation related risk of marine inundation.Gaps in understanding the processes through which human society sought to assess and comprehend the significance of environmental threat were reported in a major publication by Kates (1978).Recently, there have been concerted efforts by the government to improve Australia's ability to manage disasters.A key initiative was an in-depth review, in 2004, of current disaster policy approaches, culminating in a set of 12 commitments for reform at all levels of government (Council of Australian Governments [COAG] 2004).This review recommended a shift from reactive responses towards pro-active actions that focused on improving resilience through various mitigation measures.Australia now takes a whole-of-nation, nationally integrated, resilience-based approach to disaster management, as outlined in the National Disaster Resilience Framework (Australian Government, Attorney-General's Department, Emergency Management Australia [EMA] Division 2008).Currently disaster management is largely the responsibility of State and Territory governments, with oversight by Emergency Management Australia.On occasions where a disaster is so large that it is beyond the capacity of individual states, Commonwealth assistance is sought (COAG 2011).* Ideal conditions denote assumptions under the Arrow-Borch model and/or criteria required for the insurability of risk as defined by Swiss Re (1998) and Gollier (2002) www.climatechange.gov.au/publications/adaptation/developing-national-coastal-adaptation-agenda.aspx.
Author: R. Roberts
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Australian Government, Murdoch University
OpenAlex ID: W2170642065