Multi-Functional Assessment of Coastal Landscapes with Climate Change

Abstract

A strategic-level evaluation tool for comparing coastal managementpolicies against different future scenarios of climate change isdescribed. The effect of sea-level rise on tidal and flood limits ismapped using a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) and anadapted hydrological routine. Implications for the coastal landscape arethen determined using empirical thresholds encapsulated in transitionrules for land use and land cover change. The resulting spatial data areanalysed using a multi-criteria assessment procedure to facilitate anevaluation of policy options against the provision of multiple coastalservices. Analysis suggests that small-scale managed realignments of thecoast, although providing a political compromise, do not score highly onperformance criteria compared to either large-scale realignment ormaintaining the existing position. This approach also allowsconsideration of a broader range of environmental benefits and ecosystemservices than a conventional analysis based upon property and landvalues.