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Vulnerability of Coastal Populations

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Climate Change, Justice and Sustainability

Abstract

Climate change is a major threat to coastal populations around the world. This chapter starts by briefly describing the main effects of global climate change on coastal areas, such as the risk of flooding, the permanent inundation of inhabited areas, and salinisation of coastal groundwater resources. This is followed by a discussion of particularly vulnerable coastal types, which include densely populated river deltas, low-lying coastal cities, and low-lying islands. The main part of the chapter then presents a quantitative vulnerability assessment of all coastal countries based on different vulnerability indicators. The results emphasise the unique risk faced by the population of small island states. However, the largest numbers of people at risk from projected sea-level rise is found in populous countries in Asia. This broad picture is robust across different studies and vulnerability indicators. However, the exact level of current and future risk remains uncertain mainly due to the lack of data on present coastal protection at the global level.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainable Solutions, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany

    Hans-Martin Füssel

  2. European Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, 1050, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Hans-Martin Füssel

Authors
  1. Hans-Martin Füssel
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Correspondence to Hans-Martin Füssel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Impact Research (PIK), Sustainable Solutions, Potsdam Institute for, Telegrafenberg 31A, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Ottmar Edenhofer

  2. Studies, Munich School of Philosophy, Institute for Social & Development, Kaulbachstraße 31a, München, 80539, Germany

    Johannes Wallacher

  3. Climate Impact Research (PIK), Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, Potsdam Institute for, Telegrafenberg 31A, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Hermann Lotze-Campen

  4. Munich School of Philosophy, Institute for Social and Development Stu, Kaulbachstraße 31a, München, 80539, Germany

    Michael Reder

  5. Climate Impact Research (PIK), Sustainable Solutions, Potsdam Institute for, Telegrafenberg 31A, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Brigitte Knopf

  6. Munich School of Philosophy, Institute for Social and Development Stu, Kaulbachstraße 31a, München, 80539, Germany

    Johannes Müller

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Füssel, HM. (2012). Vulnerability of Coastal Populations. In: Edenhofer, O., Wallacher, J., Lotze-Campen, H., Reder, M., Knopf, B., Müller, J. (eds) Climate Change, Justice and Sustainability. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4540-7_5

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