Characterization of the Coastal Vulnerability in Different Geological Settings: A Comparative Study on Kerala and Tamil Nadu Coasts Using FuzzyAHP

Abstract

The acceleration of coastal processes is manifested in the form of coastal erosion, average sea level rise, drastic changes in coastlines, and more turbulent ocean waters. In this study, the coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India, were selected to identify the effects of increasing coastal processes. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and map vulnerable areas by taking into account the key parameters, such as topographical and socio-economic factors, to relate to coastal processes. The fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was employed to identify the most vulnerable zones. The key findings revealed that about 14% and 2% of the coast of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively, are classified under the physically highly vulnerable category. Similarly, ~17% and ~30% of coastal Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively, are highly socially vulnerable. The overall vulnerability assessment showed that 7–8% of both coastal areas were highly vulnerable. We concluded that the Thiruvallur, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, and Nagapattinam coasts on the east coast and the Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Kollam coasts on the west coast were very highly vulnerable to coastal processes. Identifying vulnerable zones helps to better understand the impacts of rapid coastal processes and, with this prior estimation, the policymakers can take necessary actions to mitigate the irreversible impacts of coastal processes.