Work

Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage at risk from coastal flooding and erosion due to sea-level rise

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: UNESCO World Heritage sites (WHS) located in coastal areas are increasingly at risk from coastal hazards due to sea-level rise. In this study, we assess Mediterranean cultural WHS at risk from coastal flooding and erosion under four sea-level rise scenarios until 2100. Based on the analysis of spatially explicit WHS data, we develop an index-based approach that allows for ranking WHS at risk from both coastal hazards. Here we show that of 49 cultural WHS located in low-lying coastal areas of the Mediterranean, 37 are at risk from a 100-year flood and 42 from coastal erosion, already today. Until 2100, flood risk may increase by 50% and erosion risk by 13% across the region, with considerably higher increases at individual WHS. Our results provide a first-order assessment of where adaptation is most urgently needed and can support policymakers in steering local-scale research to devise suitable adaptation strategies for each WHS.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06645-9

Authors: Lena Reimann, Athanasios T. Vafeidis, Sally Brown, Jochen Hinkel, Richard S. J. Tol

Institutions: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, University of Southampton, Bournemouth University, Global Climate Forum, University of Sussex

Language: English

Topic: Coastal and Marine Dynamics

Subfield: Earth-Surface Processes

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990