How resilient is your coastal community? : a guide for evaluating coastal community resilience to tsunamis and other hazards

Abstract

The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, which exacted a devastating toll in human suffering and destruction in affected coastal areas, was a painful reminder that coastal communities are vulnerable to unforeseen events that can bring about massive changes. Coastal communities today, around the world, are experiencing an unprecedented rate of change due to population growth in coastal areas, human induced vulnerability, and global climate change. The effects of this change are placing communities at increasing risk from coastal hazards such as tsunamis, severe storms, and shoreline erosion. It also has become evident that even without a major catastrophe such as a large tsunami, most coastal communities are not resilient to normally recurring hazards. This fact has raised the question of how to increase community resilience. The wide range of hazards taking their toll on coastal communities requires that the response to these various issues must be holistic, integrated, and long lasting.