Human populations have always tended to favour settlement in the coastal zone. Settlements in coastal areas have risen dramatically in recent decades and are likely to continue to expand for the foreseeable future. The size of vulnerable communities will, therefore, continue to increase and the hazards they face are expected to escalate with the predicted impacts of climate change, unless firm planning policies are put in place to reduce risks.

Coastal communities are more vulnerable to climate change than inland communities because in addition to meteorological parameters, they are also affected by changes in oceanic parameters, especially increases in sea level and wave heights. Both direct effects (e.g. changes in coastal erosion, storm surges and water temperature) and indirect effects (e.g. reductions in fish stocks) will have physical and socio-economic impacts on coastal communities.

More significant than the predicted changes in average climate and sea levels will be the potential increase in the severity and frequency of extreme events such as flooding and coastal storms. Whilst coastal protection is often possible, there may be a need to improve the standards of protection in high-risk urban areas. At a strategic level, knowledge of the sensitivity of a coastline to climate change enables decision-makers to anticipate the impacts that could emerge over future decades and prioritise the management efforts to reduce the risks or to mitigate possible consequences.

In order to minimise the vulnerability and increase the adaptive capacity of coastal settlements and to optimise the opportunities presented by climate change, it is essential that we respond now to the likely impacts of a changing climate.

Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK