Burbridge, Peter - LITTORAL 2010 - Global Change and the Coastal Challenge

8/8/2019 Burbridge, Peter - LITTORAL 2010 - Global Change and the Coastal Challenge

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/burbridge-peter-littoral-2010-global-change-and-the-coastal-challenge 1/27

Global Change and the

Coastal ChallengePeter Burbridge

Professor Emeritus for CoastalManagement

University of Newcastle upon TyneChair of CoastNet



Global Change• Global Change = Climate Change

PLUS Changes to the Earth’s naturalsystems initiated by man .

• Together these are major drivers affectingthe health and productivity of naturalsystems and their ability to sustain humanneeds and aspirations.

•

Key point- we have a greater chance of sustaining human development in coastalregions through stronger integration of watershed/river basin management,coastal zone management and marinedevelopment than by focussing primarily



Coastal Change and Global Change• Climatic & EnvironmentalChange (sea level, climatepatterns, CO 2 , globalsystems, atmosphericdeposition and cycles)

• Human pressure & use

(multiple effects on quality & quantity of resource, products& amenities, across scales andregions)



Vörösmarty et al. 2000 and Vörösmarty 2002

• triggered predominantlyby Humans at geospatialscales rather than byclimate change

The Hydrology ShortStory

Future Water ScarcityScenarios

Water reuse index DIA/Q

against 1985 baseline with20% threshold:

red = more scarcity

blue = less scarcity



QuickTime™ and aGIF decompressorare needed to see this picture.

• On average one large dam >15m high has been built every day for100 years, with over 36,000 large dams worldwide.

• Between 1951 and 1982, dams were constructed at a rate of 900/yr

• Prior to 1950, only 8 dams in China, as of 1982, 18,600 dams (or55% of world total with US at 16% and Japan at 6%).

• Storage behind large dams (8400 km 3 ) represents a 700%

increase in the standing stock of fresh water (1200 km3

).

Global change - Water Shortage - Humanresponse - “Engineering”



Coastal erosion along a muddy mangrovecoast, Chao Phraya River delta. Electricpoles still stand in the sea after theshoreline has retreated. (photo Yoshiki Saito)

Millennial-scale paleotopographyof the Mekong River delta(from Ta et al. 2002)

1-1010-2525-5050-100

100-200

200-400

>400

Sediment Load (MT/yr)

Sediment Load at River Mouth (MT/yr)Syvitski and Vörösmarty, 2002

Sediments and Change



Nile

in wide sediment Trapping Efficiency

Contact:J.SyvitskiVörösmarty 2002



The Coastal Zone: Society’s Edge as defined by elevation ( +200 to +100 to -100 to –200 m)

A spatial and temporal edge:• high gradients/variability

(e.g., climatic) / Biodiversity,• major biogeochemical processes

• Catchment - Shelf units• > 50% of human population (variable)

A resource sustainability ‘edge’: • 25 % biological Productivity;• 90 % global Fishery production,• Ecosystem services: ~$17.5

trillion (Global ES ~$33.3 trillion)

< of land surface

Wilson et al in prep.



Typology showingestimated regionsof highly“disturbed”coastal systems

typology filter (half degree pixel):population density>60 km -2 andcropland use >10%

The global coastalzone hasconcentrated

populationpressures

Coastal People



Global Change and theCoastal Challenge

• The coastal domain is the most dynamic part of theglobal ecosystem and the area most subject tonatural and man-induced global change;

• At a global scale, coastal systems (including forests)play a significant role in regulating global change;

• Although major river systems have a profoundinfluence on coastal and nearshore marinesystems at a regional level, the mountingpressures from human development and theireffects on coastal systems are felt most acutely atsmall to medium catchment scales;

• Concepts of sustainable coastal development need toincorporate watershed and catchment processes,

and the dynamics of coastal systems.



Coastal Changes• Loss of 70% f mangrove in Thailand due

to urban development, aquaculture• Flooding, loss of crops, salinization of

soils in Transmigration areas inSumatra converted from tidal swampforests

• Subsidence of the Indus Delta due tochanges in catchment

• Reduction of fisheries in Mekong riversystem

• 70% of Europe’s coastal are has beendegraded through poor planning andmanagement (EU-ICZM demonstration



The Coastal Challenge• Managing the human use of coastal

areas and resources to maximisesocial and economic benefits while

minimising risks to life, property,and private and public investment• Issues to manage

– Concentration of Global population in coastal areas – The future focus for economic expansion and

diversification – Opportunities – Coastal Hazards Sea Level Rise, Tsunamis, Flooding – Risks- Climate Change or Global Change – Challenge is to develop opportunities while

minimising risks – Sustainability is a question of Social Choice.



Opportunities• Energy:

– Wind, Wave, Tidal• Manufacturing, Transport and Trade• Leisure ad Recreation• Food Security

– Aquaculture and Sea Ranching – Capture Fisheries – Agriculture –

•



TYPE OFECOSYSTEM

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITYAgriculture and farmingFeedlots, ranching, and rangelands

Marshe

sDeltas

ForestryAquaculture and maricultureNearshore capture fisheriesDredging and fillingAirfieldsHarboursRoadways and causewaysShippingElectric power generationHeavy industry (onshore)Upland miningCoastal mining

Offshore oil and gas developmentMilitary facilities, training and testingLand clearing and site preparationSanitary sewage discharges

Water development and controlShoreline management and useCoastal resource use

Significant adverse effects likelyAdverse effects possible

M

angrove

swamps

Estuaries

Coralreefsand

lagoons

Seagrass

beds

Beache

sIslands

Solid waste disposal

Potential Conflicts:Coastal Development andimportant coastal ecosystems



Hazards• Storm Surges

– In 2008 Myanmar in the Indian Ocean was hitby the tropical cyclone Nargis and theassociated storm surge left a trail of

destruction. More than 100.000 people losttheir lives. – In 1953 and 1962, the Netherlands, England,

and Hamburg were severely affected bystorm surges.

•

Tsunamis- Asia• Flooding -Pakistan, Bangladesh• Pollution- Gulf of Mexico, Exxon Valdiz• Catastrophic events- Acts of God or Acts of

Man? – Poor upland, coastal and marine



Perceptions of Hazards andRisks

• We tend to focus on Climate Changeand issues such as sea level rise

• Global Change- Climate change PLUSthe influence of man on terrestrialand marine systems

• The impact of Global Change isunderestimated in terms of sustaining human use of coastaland marine areas.



Concept of Sustainability

• “the proper use and careof the coastalenvironment borrowedfrom future generations”

(Turner et. al. 1998).•



“Sustainability”

• An expression of bothsocial choice and theability of theenvironment to

continue to supporthuman needs and

aspirations



Sustainability: AContinuum

•

•

•

Weak Strong

Social Choice

S k “S i bili O i ”



Nuclear power station at Sizewell

Strong versus weak “Sustainability Options”

• Atomic Power plant located on an erodingshore - is a reality

• WEAK Sustainability:natural resources and man made

capital (money, technology andmachines) needed to sustain the viabilityof the power plant.

•

• The Alternative•• Strong Sustainability:

conserving different forms of capital(man-made, human, natural, social/moral) to meet the aspirations and needs

of human populations over time:• the natural capital of coastal systems

(biological diversity, generation of renewable resources, and maintenanceof natural processes and functions)remains constant or increases

•adapted from P. Burbridge



“Strong” Sustainability• The conservation of different forms of

capital (man-made, human, natural, andsocial/moral) in respect to meeting theneeds of human populations over time.

• The natural capital of coastal systems(biological diversity, generation of renewable resources, and maintenance of natural processes and functions ) remains

constant or increases.• Existing Legal, Institutional and Policy

instruments need to be used creatively topromote more sustainable use of coastal

areas.•



Global Change and thePractitioner

• Issues – We focus too much on Climate change and

do not clearly perceive the influence of Global Change

–

Legal Jurisdiction Sea and Land arecommonly treated as legally differentregimes-

• Mandates and Administrative Boundariesignore natural processes that link land andocean

– Lack of Effective linkage between Scienceand Management

– Increasing impact of natural hazardscompounded by poor management of development pressures

– Social choice is often misinformed or



What the Scientist, Policymaker and Practitioner can do:

• Scientists- giver more emphasis tocommunicating the social, economicand environmental significance of scientific evidence to policy makers,development planners and the public;

• Policy Makers- giver greaterconsideration to the linkages betweenterrestrial, coastal and marinesystems in developing administrativeboundaries and institutionalmandates. Marine Spatial Planning isfruitless if it in not founded on a clearunderstanding of land-oceaninteractions.



What we can do continued• Practitioners-• Give greater attention to broader

spatial, economic and social scalesin assessing opportunities for andconstraints upon humandevelopment.

•

Use available tools with imagination,creative skill within a broadsystems perspective.

• A good craftsperson does not blamethe tools available.



Tools• Policy and supporting Legislation

– EU Water Framework Directive: – Contract de Bai in Rade de Brest –

Integrated watershed management, Italy• Science and communication of information to inform policy, planningand management

– LOICZ• Human Resources-

– we need to strengthen ICM byintegrating spatial, social andeconomic dimensions at a broad scale

• Public Awareness and Support-

l f f



Potential Benefits from IntegratingUpland, Coastal and Marine

management• • Maintaining the hydrology and

material fluxes essential to the healthand productivity of coastal ecosystems;

• • Restoring the functions and naturalresources generated by riparianecosystems, coastal ecosystems andmarine ecosystems;

• • Reducing the adverse effects of natural and man-induced hazards;

• • Ameliorating Global Change;• • Supporting the expansion and

diversification of economic activities in

the coastal realm and within watersheds;•



Conclusions

• Stronger integration of terrestrial,coastal and marine development

planning can help reduce theadverse effects of man-inducedGlobal Change and support a

transition towards moresustainable use of terrestrial,coastal, and nearshore marine

t

Documents

Burbridge, Peter - LITTORAL 2010 - Global Change and the Coastal Challenge