Coastal And Estuarine Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is the cornerstone of contemporary environmental protection. You must find the answers to questions such as: what might be the impacts of the new synthetic chemicals, what problems might arise from the normal operations of industry, what are the chances of accidental releases and how will they impact the environment? Understanding and assessing these risks is essential to sound environmental policy and management. The first book to address the application of the current National Research Council (NRC) risk assessment paradigm to the coastal marine environment, Coastal and Estuarine Risk Assessment covers topics that range from pollutants of emerging concern to bioavailability and bioaccumulation at the suborganismal through landscape levels. It explores the necessary applications for modifying the NRC paradigm and presents a series of steps to actually accomplish an effective assessment using the modified paradigm. The book highlights the logical framework for assessing causation, and measurement of toxicant fate and effect. The chapter authors bring together experiences from academia, private consultants, and government agencies, resulting in a rich mixture of experience and insights. Exploring the science of exposure, effect, and risk in coastal and estuarine environments, Coastal and Estuarine Risk Assessment gives you a building block approach to the fundamental components of risk assessment.

Drawing on research from the New England Climate Adaptation Project, “Managing Climate Risks for Coastal Communities” introduces a framework for building local capacity to respond to climate change. The authors maintain that local climate adaptation efforts require collective commitments to risk management, but that many communities are not ready to take on the challenge and urgently need enhanced capacity to support climate adaptation planning. To this end, the book offers statistical assessments of one readiness enhancement strategy, using tailored role-play simulations as part of a broader engagement approach. It also introduces methods for forecasting local climate change risks, as well as for evaluating the social and political context in which collective action must take place. With extensive illustration and example engagement materials, this volume is tailored for use by researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

History has shown how powerful societies decline when natural resources are unable to be replenished. This book explores the challenges facing coastal areas during in the near future. It emphasizes beliefs that the convergence of seemingly disparate viewpoints and uncertain and limited information is possible only by using available risk assessment methodologies and decision-making tools such as multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).

This book assists the reader in determining storm risks, focussing on sandy coasts and cliff coasts in the context of expected sea level rise from littoral transformation and climate change. It examines storm impacts through matrixes concerning physical parameters, socio-economic activities, ecological and historic resources, and it presents the Coastline Risk to Storms Index as a single numerical measure of the risk for a given area. The methodology is described and tested against two coastal areas: one in the Caribbean Sea (Cartagena, Colombia) and the other on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean (Cadiz, Spain). Both areas record an important flow of tourists associated with the “sun, sea and sand market” which represents an economic recourse for the hinterland too. Chapters describe this approach and explore three particular types of variables: i) the forcing variables contributing to storm-induced erosion, ii) dynamic variables that determine the resilience to erosion (Susceptibility) and iii) the vulnerable targets grouped in three different contexts (socio-economic, ecological and heritage). These are combined into two separate indices, the Hazard Index (combining forcing and susceptibility) and the Vulnerability Index, which together constitute the Coastline Risk to Storms Index. Maps created using this semi-quantitative approximation method can help to determine the causes, processes and consequences of storm-related processes. This book is therefore important to anyone considering coastal development programs, especially decision-makers: the work presented here can assist in the development of preventative management strategies for the most vulnerable areas.

Estuaries in every country exemplify the same paradox — they are among the most productive ecosystems and also among the most impacted by anthropogenic activities. And although estuarine biodiversity is key to the ecological and economic health of coastal regions, estuaries are exposed to toxic effluents transported by rivers from remote and nearby conurbations and industrial and agricultural concerns, putting them at risk. Increased attention to environmental issues highlights the fragility and importance of estuaries and brings to the forefront the need for an up-to-date assessment of techniques. Environmental Assessment of Estuarine Ecosystems: A Case Study describes a comparative, multidisciplinary ecotoxicological study of two contrasting estuaries in France. Based on the results of this study, the book presents generalizations about how different techniques might be applied and interpreted in future, similar studies assessing the ecotoxicological status of these vital coastal systems. With contributions from international experts, this reference covers all aspects of estuaries from the physiological to the economical. It introduces the state-of-the-art science required to investigate ecotoxicological problems in many estuaries all over the world. Although carefully focused on a specific region, this book covers a broad range of environmental issues and solutions, demonstrating how various pieces of information can be integrated into a sound assessment. Understanding the observations about this region and the techniques used for its assessment provide a benchmark for assessing, remediating, and applying new developments to other estuaries.

Weather-related disasters continue to increase in frequency, many of which occur along the coast. These events claim the lives of many and have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of others. To address these risks, institutions are established with the aim of enhancing the resiliency of vulnerable coastal communities to natural disasters. Given the role of these institutions, the objective of this handbook is to understand how such institutions respond to natural disasters. This will be conducted through a cross-country comparative case study of institutional responses to vulnerability to natural coastal hazards. In particular the study asks: What is social and institutional vulnerability to natural hazards?; What institutions are available to address vulnerability to coastal hazards?; What are the reasons for the formation of the aforementioned institutions?; and What are the non-monetary costs associated with the institutional response to natural hazards? The study reveals that the incentive to establish an institutional response stems from a physical or institutional trigger and that the formation of institutional response mechanisms is gradual. Given the political cost of dismantling existing institutions, the organizational body most likely to be established is a local or central governmental body that coordinates the activities of existing institutions by establishing specialized inter-governmental committees. This implies that newly-established institutions (with both fiscal and regulatory independence) are to be expected, which is not always the case. Once it is decided to establish a new institution, its design leads to considerable conflict. These conflicts are most likely to erupt over budget allocation, cost estimation, and the eventual implementation speed (rapid vs. slow) of the response. The ultimate repercussion of such conflict is as expected, the complete termination of the response process.

Redefining Diversity and Dynamics of Natural Resources Management in Asia, Volumes 1-4 brings together scientific research and policy issues across various topographical area in Asia to provide a comprehensive overview of the issues facing the region. Sustainable Natural Resources Management in Dynamic Southeast Asia, Volume 1, pulls together regional experts in the field to look specifically at sustainability issues across the region, to see what has been implemented, what the impacts have been, and what other options are available. In the race to be a developed region, many Southeast Asian countries have foregone natural resources through haphazard use. As a result, the people are faced with numerous environmental challenges, particularly deforestation and forest degradation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, reduction in soil quality, and decreases in the quantity of available water. Community-based forest management is the involvement of local communities in the protection, conservation and management of public forests to prevent degradation through sustainable practices while still responding to the basic social and economic needs of local populations. When the people who depend on forest resources for their livelihoods are jointly responsible for managing and protecting them, they tend to do so in a more sustainable manner by focusing on the long-term benefits rather than the immediate short-term gains. However, when tenure rights are weak, unclear, or insecure, or offer limited benefits, people are incited in extracting more immediate benefits, resulting in suboptimal forest management and the reduction of carbon stocks. Features case studies that cover issues such as rising levels of deforestation, forest degradation, regional food security, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, conflicts over natural resource use, water management issues, and impacts on local communities Includes contributions from local researchers who are dealing with these issues first hand, and on a daily basis Includes a comparative review on REDD+ implementation in different communities Focuses on sustainability issues across the region

Winner of an Outstanding Academic Title Award from CHOICE Magazine Encyclopedia of Environmental Management gives a comprehensive overview of environmental problems, their sources, their assessment, and their solutions. Through in-depth entries and a topical table of contents, readers will quickly find answers to questions about specific pollution and management issues. Edited by the esteemed Sven Erik Jørgensen and an advisory board of renowned specialists, this four-volume set shares insights from more than 500 contributors—all experts in their fields. The encyclopedia provides basic knowledge for an integrated and ecologically sound management system. Nearly 400 alphabetical entries cover everything from air, soil, and water pollution to agriculture, energy, global pollution, toxic substances, and general pollution problems. Using a topical table of contents, readers can also search for entries according to the type of problem and the methodology. This allows readers to see the overall picture at a glance and find answers to the core questions: What is the pollution problem, and what are its sources? What is the "big picture," or what background knowledge do we need? How can we diagnose the problem, both qualitatively and quantitatively, using monitoring and ecological models, indicators, and services? How can we solve the problem with environmental technology, ecotechnology, cleaner technology, and environmental legislation? How do we address the problem as part of an integrated management strategy? This accessible encyclopedia examines the entire spectrum of tools available for environmental management. An indispensable resource, it guides environmental managers to find the best possible solutions to the myriad pollution problems they face. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact us to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367 / (email) [email protected] International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062 / (email) [email protected]