Reimann, Lena, Brown, Sally, Hinkel, Jochen, Tol, Richard and Vafeidis, Nassos (2018) Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage at risk from coastal flooding and erosion due to sea-level rise. Nature Communications, 9 (4161). pp. 1-11. ISSN 2041-1723

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Business, Management and Economics > Economics
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Richard Tol
Date Deposited:	30 Aug 2018 08:44
Last Modified:	30 Oct 2018 16:55
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/78387

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