Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation – Coastal Erosion and Flooding

This guidebook aims to support adaptation planning in coastal zones. It covers thirteen major adaptation technologies aiming to reduce impacts of coastal erosion and flooding due to climate change, and representing examples of the protect, accommodate or (planned) retreat approaches to adaptation. For each adaptation technology the following issues are addressed: (i) definition and description; (ii) technical advantages and disadvantages; (iii) institutional and organisational requirements; (iv) potential costs and opportunities; and (v) barriers to implementation; followed by a case study example. Knowledge and capacity building requirements and monitoring technologies are considered and contrasted across all 13 adaptation technologies. Finally, more detailed sources are indicated.
The guidebook was co-authored by Matthew M. Linham and Robert J. Nicholls, both of the University of Southampton (UK) and its production was coordinated by Xianli Zhu of the UNEP Risø Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development (URC). This publication is one of the adaptation and mitigation technology guidebooks produced by URC as part of the Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) project, implemented by UNEP and URC. Funding for this project is provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).