Coastal Flooding

• 3 local physical factors increasing flood risk?

  • low elevation areas like estuaries and low lying land more susceptible to submergence
  • subsidence due to sediment being washed out to sea and sinking due to increased settlements on land
  • vegetation removal
• what is the case study for global sea level rise increasing coastal flood risk?

  Bangladesh
• 3 physical features making Bangladesh more vulnerable to coastal flooding?

  • around 20 million people live 1m above sea level
  • tropical cyclones regularly cause storm surges and monsoon rain, increasing amount of floodwater
  • many small islands are made up of unconsolidated material, making the islands unstable and susceptible to flooding
• 3 ways climate change increases coastal flooding?

  • increased temperatures = more tropical cyclones and higher intensity = larger storm surges
  • thermal expansion and melting of ice
  • warmer oceans = stronger winds which means stronger waves, which break the embankments of low lying areas#
• 3 economic impacts of coastal flooding?

  • saltwater contaminates freshwater, making it unsuitable for farmland irrigation - damaging to countries that rely on agricultural exports
  • damaged infrastructure - limits trade and costs to repair
  • developing countries that are often affected do not have time to 'build back better'.
• 3 social impacts of storm surges?

  • flood water contaminates drinking water
  • standing water restricts movement and leaves community isolated
  • people left homeless as flood water damages buildings and infrastructure
• environmental refugees will increase as the land they live on and earn a livelihood is submerged
• an example of environmental refugees are Tuvaluan's as 2400 were forced to move to larger islands