Enhancing storm surge resilience for coastal habitat: A framework to support sustainable development

More than 2.4 billion people live within 100 km of the sea coastline. Between 2016-2019 there has been a rising trend in tropical cyclone’s intensity and the frequency. Such cyclone events irrespective of their hurricane categorisation have persistently triggered coastal flooding such as storm surges of at least 7 ft (2 m). Over this period disaster losses from tropical cyclones have been estimated as US$ 343 billion, with over 3,333 deaths. A review of previous studies found that 47% of the Atlantic Cyclone’s deaths were caused by storm surges-triggered by hurricanes and not just by hurricanes themselves. The unique characteristics of storm surge and the uncertainty coupled with the lack of hurricane intensity prediction potentially leave coastal communities and the infrastructure directly exposed to the socioeconomic risk. The aim of this research is to develop a framework which helps enhance the resilience of coastal habitat to storm surge hazard. The proposed framework considers the adaptive capacity of developing countries, and its structure is developed by reviewing the current practices and strategies of disaster management for storm surge hazard triggered by tropical cyclones identifying the gaps and challenges. A framework approach could support the future resilience, reducing the disaster losses, both in terms of lives and in terms of socioeconomic, and environmental impacts of countries. This research fits within the wider knowledge field of disaster risk management and sustainable community’s enhancement adopts a qualitative exploratory research design based on case study methodology. The study focused on the implementation of four main disaster phases such as the (i) preparedness (ii) response (iii) recovery and (iv) mitigation of the disaster risk management (DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) which had occurred from different events chosen for the case study and had occurred between 2000-2017. The examination of individual case studies and the cross-case syntheses of the cases resulted in identifying the commonalities and obtain insights into the DRM practices and governance in various countries. Gaps within current DRM strategies and their practices before, during and after the occurrence of the disaster were also identified which has assisted in the recommendations within this study. The findings then led to the proposal of the Disaster Adaptation to Mitigate Storm Surge (DAMSS) framework and guidelines for best practices. The findings and suggested approaches may also help governments, planners, engineers, builders, forecasters, emergency managers, relief workers, regional bodies, insurance, civil protection organisations, public and private officials of all the developing countries, to reduce future losses, where there is not the same supportive development infrastructure

Sedimentation dynamics of the Cagayan de Oro river catchment and the implications for its coastal marine environments

Declines in coastal environment condition can often be attributed to land-based activities in the uplands. This may be the case in some parts of Macajalar Bay, where river plume is observed almost daily. This present study aims to demonstrate the erosion-sedimentation process along the Cagayan de Oro River Catchment to its river mouth, and its implication for the marine coastal habitats. Highlighted in the study are the various natural factors that have influenced the erosion-sedimentation process: its volume; direction; and effects on the coastal habitats. In the uplands, to account for the influence of catchment spatial heterogeneity and local rainfall on run-off rates and sediment yield, the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was employed. The model predicted high (15 \u3e 50 t/ha/yr) to very high sediment yields (\u3e50 t/ha/yr) in a few sub-catchments and slight to moderate yields (0 \u3e 15 t/ha/yr) in most sub-catchments. However, during heavy and prolonged rainfall events, a number of sub-catchments became highly prone to erosion, due to existing large cultivated lands and very steep slopes. On normal rainfall days, the model predicted continuous transport downstream of slight to moderate amounts of sediments which could have implications for coastal marine environments within the river mouth vicinity. In the bay, the Delft3D model was employed to investigate the direction and location of total suspended sediment distribution. The model predicted coastal current circulation and sediment dispersal patterns in the months of April to May and December to be predominantly east and southeast. Based on the simulation results, most of the flowing suspended sediments were trapped at the river mouth (average discharge: 30-50 mg/L; extreme discharge: 1200-1600 mg/L), while some were dispersed east of the opening. The amount of dispersed sediments in inshore waters varied according to the river discharge conditions: low to average discharge (~113.49 m3/s) amounted to minimally higher-than-normal total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations in ambient water (10-30 mg/L), while extremely high discharge (~1245,33 m3/s) resulted also in high-TSS concentrations (200-500 mg/L). Given that most sediment particles were predicted to be concentrated at the river mouth (e.g., with shallow depth water and mudflat presence), sedimentation may have influenced mangrove establishment and growth. Likewise, there may have been an association between river-sediment plume and the present ecological conditions of both corals and seagrasses. To determine any relation between river sedimentation and marine coastal habitats, the existing distribution, composition and abundance of each coastal marine habitat were scrutinised using satellite images, historical maps, previous related studies and Chapter 3 results on river plume extents and concentrations. Analysis results revealed that river sedimentation reinforced by human intervention has contributed to land changes at the river mouth, either through accretion (~35.21 ha) or through erosion (~5.10 ha). Formation of new land forms has in turn contributed to mangrove colonisation, albeit slow, either through natural growth (~4.5 ha) or through human plantation (~2.0 ha). With regard to corals and seagrasses, their natural locations and distributions in Macajalar Bay have most likely been influenced by salinity and sediment concentration levels. As to their composition and abundance, massive corals dominate sites furthest from the river mouth but no clear association between seagrass abundance and river-borne sediment encroachment. At best, the results imply that sedimentation in the catchment does have implications for the distribution of the three major coastal habitats within the river’s vicinity. Based on the major findings of the study, specific rehabilitation and management measures were recommended to address erosion-sedimentation issues in the uplands, the coastal areas and the coastal marine habitats while taking into account existing government plans and projects. Four key management principles, namely, integration, sustainability, precautionary and adaptive (Boesch, 2006) were used as basis for the integration of the recommended management measures. Limitations of the study in each chapter were recognised. In the catchment, the model simulated sediment data showed poor agreement with the observed data, and the validation results were weak. Thus, longer data collection period is recommended for future monitoring and modelling studies. In the sediment transport near the river mouth, there was disparity between model and measured suspended sediment concentration data. It is recommended for future studies that several collections of samples be done following different stages of river flow to approximate the value of model simulated data. As regards the coastal marine habitats, the study results can be strengthened by long-term information on the distribution, abundance and diversity of coral reefs and seagrass meadows within the river mouth vicinity

CHARACTERIZING RICE RESIDUE BURNING AND ASSOCIATED EMISSIONS IN VIETNAM USING A REMOTE SENSING AND FIELD-BASED APPROACH

Agricultural residue burning, practiced in croplands throughout the world, adversely impacts public health and regional air quality. Monitoring and quantifying agricultural residue burning with remote sensing alone is difficult due to lack of field data, hazy conditions obstructing satellite remote sensing imagery, small field sizes, and active field management. This dissertation highlights the uncertainties, discrepancies, and underestimation of agricultural residue burning emissions in a small-holder agriculturalist region, while also developing methods for improved bottom-up quantification of residue burning and associated emissions impacts, by employing a field and remote sensing-based approach. The underestimation in biomass burning emissions from rice residue, the fibrous plant material left in the field after harvest and subjected to burning, represents the starting point for this research, which is conducted in a small-holder agricultural landscape of Vietnam. This dissertation quantifies improved bottom-up air pollution emissions estimates through refinements to each component of the fine-particulate matter emissions equation, including the use of synthetic aperture radar timeseries to explore rice land area variation between different datasets and for date of burn estimates, development of a new field method to estimate both rice straw and stubble biomass, and also improvements to emissions quantification through the use of burning practice specific emission factors and combustion factors. Moreover, the relative contribution of residue burning emissions to combustion sources was quantified, demonstrating emissions are higher than previously estimated, increasing the importance for mitigation. The dissertation further explored air pollution impacts from rice residue burning in Hanoi, Vietnam through trajectory modelling and synoptic meteorology patterns, as well as timeseries of satellite air pollution and reanalysis datasets. The results highlight the inherent difficulty to capture air pollution impacts in the region, especially attributed to cloud cover obstructing optical satellite observations of episodic biomass burning. Overall, this dissertation found that a prominent satellite-based emissions dataset vastly underestimates emissions from rice residue burning. Recommendations for future work highlight the importance for these datasets to account for crop and burning practice specific emission factors for improved emissions estimates, which are useful to more accurately highlight the importance of reducing emissions from residue burning to alleviate air quality issues

Environmental Livelihood Security in Southeast Asia and Oceania: A Water-Energy-Food-Livelihoods Nexus Approach for Spatially Assessing Change

This document addresses the need for explicit inclusion of livelihoods within the environment nexus (water-energy-food security), not only responding to literature gaps but also addressing emerging dialogue from existing nexus consortia. We present the first conceptualization of ‘environmental livelihood security’, which combines the nexus perspective with sustainable livelihoods. The geographical focus of this paper is Southeast Asia and Oceania, a region currently wrought by the impacts of a changing climate. Climate change is the primary external forcing mechanism on the environmental livelihood security of communities in Southeast Asia and Oceania which, therefore, forms the applied crux of this paper. Finally, we provide a primer for using geospatial information to develop a spatial framework to enable geographical assessment of environmental livelihood security across the region. We conclude by linking the value of this research to ongoing sustainable development discussions, and for influencing policy agenda

Toward Arctic transitions and sustainability: modeling risks and resilience across scales of governance

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2017The Arctic region has been the subject of international attention in recent years. The magnitude of impacts from global climate change, land-use change, and speculations about economic development and accessible polar shipping lanes have intensified this focus. As a result, the potential to manage complex ecological, social and political relationships in the context of changes, risks and opportunities is the focus of a large and growing body of research. This dissertation contributes to the expanding scholarship on managing Arctic social-ecological systems for resilience by answering the question: What conditions improve cross-scale learning and resilience in nested social-ecological systems experiencing rapid changes? Using the framework of social-ecological systems and the drivers of change that can transform fundamental relationships within, three studies profile the spatial and temporal dimensions of learning and risk perceptions that impact nested social systems. The first study presents a spatial and temporal analysis of scale- and level-specific processes that impact learning from risks. It draws on four cases to underscore the need for a plurality of risk assumptions in learning for resilience, and sums up essential resources needed to support key decision points for increasing resilience. Two additional studies present research conducted with northern Alaska communities and resource managers. In these studies, I analyzed the extent to which perceptions of risks scale horizontally (between same-level jurisdictions), and vertically (between levels in a dominant jurisdictional structure). These examples illustrate the need for innovative institutions to enhance cross-scale learning, and to balance global drivers of change with local socioeconomic, cultural, and ecological interests. Based on findings of the dissertation research I propose recommendations to optimize the tools and processes of complex decision making under uncertainty

Towards climate resilience in agriculture for Southeast Asia: an overview for decision-makers.

This sourcebook, and accompanying poster learning series, is aimed at policy makers, planners in government, local research administrators, civil society partners and researchers in Southeast Asia. Compiled and repackaged by Dr. Julian Gonsalves and a resource team, the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) source book draws from a rich pool of literature from over 700 sources. The compilation provides succinct, relevant and timely information about climate challenges, and potential solutions from previously published work in a simplified or a shortened form from around the world. While the focus is on challenges specific to Southeast Asia, solutions may come from, or already have been tested elsewhere; it is for this reason that articles from around the world have been included, to demonstrate that adaptation efforts are already being implemented, and a wide range of approaches and strategies are available. This resource seeks to bridge the gap between what policy makers know, and what research shows can work on the ground to improve adaptation, increase productivity, enhance livelihoods, and contribute to sustainable development affected by climate change. The related poster series can be found here: http://hdl.handle.net/10568/71099