Examining Hazard Mitigation Within the Context of Public Goods

/ This paper presents a case study of an American barrier island devastated by a hurricane to show how it is addressing the free-riding problem and protecting its public goods, thereby contributing to hazard mitigation. It examines hazard mitigation and the free-riding problem within the public goods framework. Free-riding is a term used in the public choice theory and common pool resource literature. It is a term used for describing the actions of rational individuals who freely exploit a collective or public good at the expense of others. Free-riding is a major problem faced by public goods. The problem very frequently occurs in the context of hazard mitigation and coastal resource management. Very little is known about the factors that contribute to the promotion of hazard mitigation. This paper identifies some of the important factors that help local institutions provide and sustain hazard mitigation measures. Theoretical and practical implications for hazards research and disaster management policy are presented.     

Conservation and management of the Bangladesh coastal ecosystem: Overview of an integrated approach

Although the coastal ecosystem of Bangladesh contains a highly functional and structurally diverse ecology, this ecology is gradually being degraded. As a consequence, the quality of life of a large section of the coastal community is in economic decline. This poses a daunting challenge to the sectoral coastal management programmes, active since the 1960s, aiming at simultaneously ameliorating people's livelihood and supporting the ecosystem. These programmes have been reasonably successful in managing the ecosystem, but in many cases, the situation has become worse. The limitations of these programmes include the tendency to adopt an exclusionist approach, a narrowly departmentalized administration and weak management. Currently, the integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) approach is espoused as the main strategy. With the adoption of Bangladesh's Coastal Zone Policy of 2005, the foundation for integrated management was laid. The next realistic target will be to bring about changes in culture and mandate among coastal institutions in favour of integrated management.     

Remote sensing of coastal food resources

Since tidal marshes and estuaries cover large areas of the world's coasts and exhibit a very high net primary productivity, they offer a most important food source for an ever increasing world population. The food web of numerous estuaries and coastal waters is based on the primary productivity of coastal marshes that constitute centers of solar energy fixation and an important link in the mineral cycles. The fixed carbon and minerals enterthe water primarily as detritus where a complex food web makes them accessible to commercially important fish and benthic communities. With the launch of LANDSAT, NOAA-2, and Skylab, relatively high resolution spacecraft data became available for mapping and inventorying tidal marshes and their productivity on a global scale. Upwelling regions that attract large fish populations as well as other coastal water properties relating to the presence of finfish, Crustacea, and shellfish could be identified and observed. Using multispectral analysis techniques, classification accuracies greater than 80 percent have been obtained for most marsh plant species, and greater than 90 percent for key types such asSpartina alterniflora, which is the primary producer in large tide marshes of the coastal eastern USA. The capacity of remote sensors on spacecraft such as NOAA-2, LANDSAT, and Skylab to assess coastal food resources on a global scale is discussed from the point of view of resolution, classification accuracy, and cost effectiveness.     

Plant Community Composition and Biomass in Gulf Coast Chenier Plain Marshes: Responses to Winter Burning and Structural Marsh Management

Many marshes in the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain, USA, are managed through a combination of fall or winter burning and structural marsh management (i.e., levees and water control structures; hereafter SMM). The goals of winter burning and SMM include improvement of waterfowl and furbearer habitat, maintenance of historic isohaline lines, and creation and maintenance of emergent wetlands. Although management practices are intended to influence the plant community, effects of these practices on primary productivity have not been investigated. Marsh processes, such as vertical accretion and nutrient cycles, which depend on primary productivity may be affected directly or indirectly by winter burning or SMM. We compared Chenier Plain plant community characteristics (species composition and above- and belowground biomass) in experimentally burned and unburned control plots within impounded and unimpounded marshes at 7 months (1996), 19 months (1997), and 31 months (1998) after burning. Burning and SMM did not affect number of plant species or species composition in our experiment. For all three years combined, burned plots had higher live above-ground biomass than did unburned plots. Total above-ground and dead above-ground biomasses were reduced in burned plots for two and three years, respectively, compared to those in unburned control plots. During all three years, belowground biomass was lower in impounded than in unimpounded marshes but did not differ between burn treatments. Our results clearly indicate that current marsh management practices influence marsh primary productivity and may impact other marsh processes, such as vertical accretion, that are dependent on organic matter accumulation and decay.     

A simulation model for projecting changes in salinity concentrations and species dominance in the coastal margin habitats of the Everglades

Sharp boundaries typically separate the salinity tolerant mangroves from the salinity intolerant hardwood hammock species, which occupy the similar geographical areas of southern Florida. Evidence of strong feedback between tree community-type and the salinity of the unsaturated (vadose) zone of the soil suggests that a severe disturbance that significantly tilts the salinity in the vadose zone might cause a shift from one vegetation type to the other. In this study, a model based upon the feedback dynamics between vegetation and salinity of the vadose zone of the soil was used to take account of storm surge events to investigate the mechanisms that by which this large-scale disturbance could affect the spatial pattern of hardwood hammocks and mangroves. Model simulation results indicated that a heavy storm surge that completely saturated the vadose zone at 30 ppt for 1 day could lead to a regime shift in which there is domination by mangroves of areas previously dominated by hardwood hammocks. Lighter storm surges that saturated the vadose zone at less than 7 ppt did not cause vegetation shifts. Investigations of model sensitivity analysis indicated that the thickness of the vadose zone, coupled with precipitation, influenced the residence time of high salinity in the vadose zone and therefore determined the rate of mangrove domination. The model was developed for a southern Florida coastal ecosystem, but its applicability may be much broader.     

Engineering-geological hazards and management in the Mountain Crimea coastal zone

The main engineering-geological hazards and their factors of the Mountain Crimea coastal region are considered. A characteristic shore line site of Cape Kikineiz and its neighboring coastal area near the Katsiveli settlement has been studied in more detail. The important characteristic of the site is a high diversity of geological conditions with numerous manifestations of dangerous engineering-geological processes: shore and hydrological network abrasion, loss of slopes and rocks stability, etc. These processes have intensified during the last decades under the influence of natural and man-induced factors. The results of preliminary study of geo-environmental situation of the area are presented. The program for further research and possible recommendations for rational coastal hazard management and area ecological state improvement are outlined.     

Coastal hazards and community-coping methods in Bangladesh

Addressing one of the most vulnerable coastal communities in Bangladesh, this paper explores people’s perception and vulnerabilities to coastal hazards. At the same time, it investigates the methods that communities apply to cope with different coastal hazards. Findings revealed that people perceived an increase in both the intensity of hazards and their vulnerabilities. In spite of having a number of socio-economic and locational factors enhancing their vulnerabilities, the community is creating their own ways to cope with these hazards. For different aspects of life like shelter, employment, water supply, and health, communities apply different coping methods that vary with the types of hazard. Efforts have also been made by governments and NGOs to manage coastal hazards. By highlighting both community-coping methods and efforts of development organizations, this paper attempts to devise an integrated approach for managing the coastal hazards that occur in Bangladesh.     

Methodological approach of coastal areas concerning typology and spatial indicators, in the context of integrated management and environmental assessment

The general objective of this paper is to trigger off the development of a more comprehensive approach to Hellenic coastal areas (in the perspective of territorial cohesion), at local level and especially along the non-urban areas close to the sea. Methodological issues linked to the building of an appropriate coastal database constitute the key goal of this paper (the space and time scale, the relationship to the already proposed set of indicators, the impact of driving forces and policies, the possible sources of data and their feasibility etc.). Furthermore, specific emphasis should be given to the choice of new indicators, particularly for the coastal abiotic environment and the land cover/uses along coastal areas, especially near the seafront. Those indicators should be able to aid the formation (in the near future) of an algorithm linked to the total man-made activities in coastal areas. In conclusion, this paper will be considered successful if the just above illustrated objectives could enrich the argument about the typology of coastal areas and the development of a spatial (coastal) observatory. Actually, this paper is part of a broader research of the author regarding the monitoring of coastal spatial changes in different scales (AMICA, “Appraisal of man-made interventions along the Hellenic coastal areas”). This research aims to broaden the coastal knowledge (not only by means of coastal data) on behalf of all stakeholders been implicated into sustainable spatial planning, integrated coastal management and the strategic environmental assessment along coastal areas.

Spatial assessment of sea level rise on Martinique’s coastal zone and analysis of planning frameworks for adaptation

Accelerated sea level rise and hurricanes are increasingly influencing human coastal activities. With respect to the projected continuation of accelerated sea level rise and global warming one must count with additional expenses for adaptation strategies along the coasts. On the mountainous island Martinique the majority of settlements are situated along the coast almost at sea level. But potential rises in sea level and its impacts are not addressed in coastal management, even though saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion with increasing offshore loss of sediment are locally already a severe problem. At a sea level rise of 50 cm, one fourth of Martinique’s coastline will be affected by erosion and one fifth of the islands surface will have high probability to get flooded during coastal hazards. This is a growth of 5% of the impact area in comparison to present conditions. This article analyses potential adaptation strategies and argues that the development of a coastal zone management plan considering sea level rise and its impact area is of utmost importance. Empirical assessment models in combination with spatial analysis are useful in obtaining statements about coastal impacts concerning sea level rise. This paper sees itself as recommendation of action not only for Martinique.