A multi-component flood risk assessment in the Maresme coast (NW Mediterranean)

Coastal regions are the areas most threatened by natural hazards, with floods being the most frequent and significant threat in terms of their induced impacts, and therefore, any management scheme requires their evaluation. In coastal areas, flooding is a hazard associated with various processes acting at different scales: coastal storms, flash floods, and sea level rise (SLR). In order to address the problem as a whole, this study presents a methodology to undertake a preliminary integrated risk assessment that determines the magnitude of the different flood processes (flash flood, marine storm, SLR) and their associated consequences, taking into account their temporal and spatial scales. The risk is quantified using specific indicators to assess the magnitude of the hazard (for each component) and the consequences in a common scale. This allows for a robust comparison of the spatial risk distribution along the coast in order to identify both the areas at greatest risk and the risk components that have the greatest impact. This methodology is applied on the Maresme coast (NW Mediterranean, Spain), which can be considered representative of developed areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The results obtained characterise this coastline as an area of relatively low overall risk, although some hot spots have been identified with high-risk values, with flash flooding being the principal risk process

Mediterranean-climate streams and rivers: geographically separated but ecologically comparable freshwater systems

Streams and rivers in mediterranean-climate regions (med-rivers in med-regions) are ecologically unique, with flow regimes reflecting precipitation patterns. Although timing of drying and flooding is predictable, seasonal and annual intensity of these events is not. Sequential flooding and drying, coupled with anthropogenic influences make these med-rivers among the most stressed riverine habitat worldwide. Med-rivers are hotspots for biodiversity in all med-regions. Species in med-rivers require different, often opposing adaptive mechanisms to survive drought and flood conditions or recover from them. Thus, metacommunities undergo seasonal differences, reflecting cycles of river fragmentation and connectivity, which also affect ecosystem functioning. River conservation and management is challenging, and trade-offs between environmental and human uses are complex, especially under future climate change scenarios. This overview of a Special Issue on med-rivers synthesizes information presented in 21 articles covering the five med-regions worldwide: Mediterranean Basin, coastal California, central Chile, Cape region of South Africa, and southwest and southern Australia. Research programs to increase basic knowledge in less-developed med-regions should be prioritized to achieve increased abilities to better manage med-rivers

Finding key vulnerable areas by a climate change vulnerability assessment

Extreme climate events such as typhoons, heat waves, and floods have increased in frequency with climate change. Many municipalities within the Republic of Korea (ROK) have experienced damage from these events, necessitating countermeasures. Vulnerability assessment has been suggested in the implementation of a national plan for reducing damage resulting from climate change. Thus, in this study, we assess the vulnerability of the ROK and identify key vulnerable municipalities in support of the national adaptation plan. We create a framework for assessing the vulnerability of all 232 municipalities of the ROK with respect to 32 items in 7 fields. The framework regards decision makers' comprehension and availability of data as important factors. We assess the vulnerability index of each municipality by using variables of climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation capacity. The weights of variables are determined by the Delphi method. We used the representative concentration pathways 8.5 climate scenario to reflect future climate exposure for the vulnerability assessment. From the analysis, vulnerability maps are prepared for the 32 items of 7 fields, and key vulnerable municipalities are identified by aggregating the maps. The distribution of vulnerable municipalities changes with the future climate conditions. These maps provide a scientific and objective basis for the ROK government to establish adaptation plans and allocate resources. The ROK government can utilize the results to identify the characteristics of highly vulnerable areas, and municipalities can use the results as a basis for requesting support from the national government.Y