Considering Sea Level Rise as a Coastal Hazard

Coastal professionals recognize flooding, storms and tsunamis as hazards. Often the consequences of these dynamic hazards are exacerbated by coastal water levels at the arrival time of the flood, storm or tsunami waves. Factors that contribute to water level, such as tides or eustatic sea level are rarely considered themselves to be hazards. The scientific evidence is growing that sea level rise is accelerating beyond historic trends and, extreme eustatic change of several meters might itself be considered a hazard. To understand the role of sea level change as a hazard, it is important to consider overall dynamics of water level along the coast from global to local scales. Effective response to this hazard should include am awareness of how localized water level variability has traditionally been incorporated into coastal engineering and management, and the implications of future variability for traditional and innovative approaches.