The future of coasts – Changing flood risk for coastal communities in the developing world

More than 600 million people live along coasts that face an increased risk of flooding from sea-level rise. In this interdisciplinary project, we will develop risk maps for several cities in developing countries using high-resolution elevation data from satellites, tides records, and regional storm characteristics. We will create street-by-street risk maps and interactive web tools offering invaluable guidance for decision-makers. To facilitate the adoption of risk information, we will establish two-way conversations with local stakeholders. We address the following questions:

• How will the flooding recurrence increase decade-by-decade and street-by-street?
• What is the value of the economic, social, and ecosystem services damages due to increased flooding?
• Will increases in flooding result in irreversible population and livelihood displacements?
• Will patterns of flooding increase the social and economic inequities in the communities?
• What tools do stakeholders need to effectively coordinate their responses?