Abstract
This chapter discusses the potential impacts of climate change on coastal infrastructure in the Pacific. It also analyses the location of built infrastructure in 12 Pacific island countries with a view to determining the percentages in close proximity to the coast and so highly vulnerable to climate-related impacts. Data relating to the geographic location of all built infrastructure for 12 countries was obtained from various sources or coded directly. Buffer ranges of 0–50, 50–100, 100–200 and 200–500 m were created for each of the islands and the number of built infrastructure in each band was determined. Overall, for the 12 PICs, 57% of the built infrastructure is within 500m of the coastline. For the individual bands assessed here, 9%, 11%, 16% and 21% fall in intervals of 0–50 m, 50–100 m, 100–200 m and 200–500 m intervals, respectively. Therefore only 43% of built infrastructure is beyond 500 m of the coastline when all 12 PICs are considered together.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
ACP-EU (2017) Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (PCRAFI) Component 2: Exposure Data Collection and Management. ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program. Retrieved from https://www.gfdrr.org/en/pacific-catastrophe-risk-assessment-and-financing-initiative-phase-3
Alex B, Baillat A, Gemenne F (2019) Implications of climate change on defence and security in the South Pacific by 2030. Institute of International and Strategic Affairs, p 72
Alison J, Baker G, Week D, Consult A (2011) Infrastructure and climate change in the Pacific. Pacific Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning (PACCSAP), 74. https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/1f81b90c-1581-4460-865a-7b7306f7f528/files/infrastructure-report.pdf
Arkema KK, Guannel G, Verutes G, Wood SA, Guerry A, Ruckelshaus M, Silver JM (2013) Coastal habitats shield people and property from sea-level rise and storms. Nat Clim Chang 3(10):913. https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1944
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (2011) Scientific assessment and new research. In: Climate change reports, volume 1: regional view. Australian Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, Melbourne. Retrieved 1 July 2019, from http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/
Barnett J (2001) Adapting to climate change in Pacific Island countries: the problem of uncertainty. World Dev 29(6):977–993. https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/34507
Commonwealth of Australia (2011) Climate change risks to coastal buildings and infrastructure: A supplement to the first pass national assessment. Retrieved from Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/0f56e5e6-e25e-4183-bbef-ca61e56777ef/files/risks-coastal-buildings.pdf
Forbes DL, Solomon S (1998) Approaches to vulnerability assessment on pacific island coasts: examples from Southeast Viti Levu (Fiji) and South Tarawa (Kiribati). SOPAC Sectariat, Kiribati
Granger K (1999) An information infrastructure for disaster management in Pacific island countries. Austrailian Geological Survey Organisation, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
Handmer J, Nalau J (2019) Understanding loss and damage in Pacific Small Island developing states. In: Mechler R, Bouwer LM, Schinko T, Surminski S (eds) Loss and damage from climate change. Springer, Cham, pp 365–381
Hanson, F. (2008). The dragon in the Pacific: more opportunity than threat. Retrieved from Lowy Institute for International Policy https://archive.lowyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/pubfiles/Hanson%2C_the_dragon_in_the_pacific_web_1.pdf
Henderson-Sellers A, Zhang H, Berz G, Emanuel K, Gray W, Landsea C, Holland G, Lighthill J, Shieh S-L, Webster P, and McGuffie K (1998) Tropical cyclones and global climate change: A post–IPCC assessment. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc 79:19–38
Hu D, Wu L, Cai W, Gupta AS, Ganachaud A, Qiu B, Gordon AL, Lin X, Chen Z, Hu S (2015) Pacific western boundary currents and their roles in climate. Nature 522(7556):299. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14504
Kumar L, Taylor S (2015) Exposure of coastal built assets in the South Pacific to climate risks. Nat Clim Chang 5(11):992. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2702
Kumar L, Eliot I, Nunn PD, Stul T, McLean R (2018) An indicative index of physical susceptibility of small islands to coastal erosion induced by climate change: an application to the Pacific islands. Geomat Nat Haz Risk 9(1):691–702. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2018.1455749
Lewsey C, Cid G, Kruse E (2004) Assessing climate change impacts on coastal infrastructure in the eastern Caribbean. Mar Policy 28(5):393–409
Lorde T, Gomes C, Alleyne D, Phillips W (2013) An assessment of the economic and social impacts of climate change on the coastal and marine sector in the Caribbean. Retrieved from https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/38519/LCCARL395.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Mimura N (1999) Vulnerability of island countries in the South Pacific to sea level rise and climate change. Clim Res 12(2–3):137–143. https://www.int-res.com/articles/cr1999/12/c012p137.pdf
Nicholls RJ, Klein RJ (2005) Climate change and coastal management on Europe’s coast. In: Vermaat JE, Bouwer LM, Turner RK, Salomons W (eds) Managing European coasts. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 199–226
Nurse LA, McLean RF, Agard J, Briguglio LP, Duvat-Magnan V, Pelesikoti N, Tompkins E, Webb A (2014) Small islands. In: Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part B: Regional Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 42
O’Brien K, Leichenko R, Kelkar U, Venema H, Aandahl G, Tompkins H, Javed A, Bhadwal S, Barg S, Nygaard L, West J (2004) Mapping vulnerability to multiple stressors: climate change and globalization in India. Glob Environ Chang 14(4):303–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2004.01.001
Preston BL, Suppiah R, Macadam I, Bathols JM (2006) Climate change in the Asia/Pacific region. A consultancy report prepared for the climate change and development roundtable. CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, Aspendale, Vic
Storey D, Hunter S (2010) Kiribati: an environmental ‘perfect storm’. Aust Geogr 41(2):167–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049181003742294
Tompkins EL (2005) Planning for climate change in small islands: insights from national hurricane preparedness in the Cayman Islands. Glob Environ Chang 15(2):139–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2004.11.002
World Bank (2006) The Pacific infrastructure challenge: a review of obstacles and opportunities for improving performance in Pacific Islands. World Bank, Washington
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kumar, L., Gopalakrishnan, T., Jayasinghe, S. (2020). Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Infrastructure in the Pacific. In: Kumar, L. (eds) Climate Change and Impacts in the Pacific. Springer Climate. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32878-8_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32878-8_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-32877-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-32878-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)