Development of an Integrated Environmental Information Management System for Estuary-Coastal Areas: Focusing on Risk Assessment

Abstract

Estuarine-coastal regions in Korea face escalating climate-related risks and fragmented governance between ministries, necessitating an integrated environmental information management system. This study developed a comprehensive system to enhance data accessibility and strengthen science-policy linkages for sustainable estuary-coastal management. Following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report framework, this study constructed composite indicators of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, which were standardized through min-max scaling. Weighted and unweighted formulations were applied to compare the risk patterns, with Local Moran's I analysis identifying spatial hotspots and coldspots. Population-based grid filtering excluded uninhabited areas to prevent analytical bias. Pilot analyses for the Nakdong and Geum river estuary-coastal areas showed that weighting significantly sharpened the spatial risk contrasts, clearly delineating high-risk zones in estuarine lowlands and port hinterlands. Multi-driver compound flooding scenarios showed approximately two-fold increases in high-risk areas compared to single-driver conditions, with 20.43% vs. 11.37% of the study area classified as high-risk. The integrated system effectively prioritizes climate adaptation investments and supports evidence-based decision-making for resilient estuary-coastal management under intensifying climate extremes.