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Resilience of Infrastructure Systems to Sea-Level Rise in Coastal Areas: Impacts, Adaptation Measures, and Implementation Challenges

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  • Beatriz Azevedo de Almeida

    (Infrastructure System-of-Systems Group, Environnemental Engineering Student, Fluminense Federal University, Rio de Janeiro 20081, Brazil)

  • Ali Mostafavi

    (Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

Abstract

Expansive areas of low elevation in many densely populated coastal areas are at elevated risk of storm surges and flooding due to torrential precipitation, as a result of sea level rise. These phenomena could have catastrophic impacts on coastal communities and result in the destruction of critical infrastructure, disruption of economic activities and salt water contamination of the water supply. The objective of the study presented in this paper was to identify various impacts of sea level rise on civil infrastructures in coastal areas and examine the adaptation measures suggested in the existing literature. To this end, a systemic review of the existing literature was conducted in order to identify a repository of studies addressing sea level rise impacts and adaptation measures in the context of infrastructure systems. The study focused on three infrastructure sectors: water and wastewater, energy, and road transportation. The collected information was then analyzed in order to identify different categories of sea level rise impacts and corresponding adaptation measures. The findings of the study are threefold: (1) the major categories of sea level rise impacts on different infrastructure systems; (2) measures for protection, accommodation, and retreat in response to sea level rise impacts; and (3) challenges related to implementing adaptation measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Beatriz Azevedo de Almeida & Ali Mostafavi, 2016. "Resilience of Infrastructure Systems to Sea-Level Rise in Coastal Areas: Impacts, Adaptation Measures, and Implementation Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-28, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:11:p:1115-:d:81861
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Kaihang Zhou & Scott Hawken, 2023. "Climate-Related Sea Level Rise and Coastal Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure Futures: Landscape Planning Scenarios for Negotiating Risks and Opportunities in Australian Urban Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-23, June.
    3. C. Orsenigo & C. Vercellis, 2018. "Anthropogenic influence on global warming for effective cost-benefit analysis: a machine learning perspective," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 45(3), pages 425-442, September.
    4. Anh Cao & Miguel Esteban & Takashi Mino, 2020. "Adapting wastewater treatment plants to sea level rise: learning from land subsidence in Tohoku, Japan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(1), pages 885-902, August.
    5. Apurva Pamidimukkala & Sharareh Kermanshachi & Nikhitha Adepu & Elnaz Safapour, 2021. "Resilience in Water Infrastructures: A Review of Challenges and Adoption Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-15, November.

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