Integrating sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies in the coastal zone: integrating generations

This paper reviews different climate induced sea-level rise adaptation policy options and assesses how these policy options can be integrated into planning policies in the coastal zone to increase adaptive capacity. In order to identify a holistic and efficient way of integrating sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies, relevant and related literature on both sea-level rise adaptation policies and planning policy in the coastal zone were reviewed and gaps in the adaptation planning policies identified. A framework for the integration of climate induced sea-level rise adaptation into planning policies in the coastal zones was developed based on qualitative appraisal of coastal adaptation policy options for different coastal conditions, potential risk to natural and human resources and the possible impacts of each policy option on coastal settlements and resources in the face of climate change and associated sea-level rise. The paper concludes that due to recent climate related devastations in the coastal zones, such as 2007 flooding in the UK, Ghana and Bangladesh and 2006‟s hurricane Katrina in USA, a range of adaptive management and planning policies that could potentially offset some of the worst climate related problems need to be identified and implemented. However, for such policies to be effective, they need to be matched carefully to local economic and environmental conditions as well as the coastal characteristics. They also need to be planned in advance and implemented within an organised framework that includes elements of monitoring, maintenance, local community involvement and capacity building.