Nature Communications· 2018Q1
Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage at risk from coastal flooding and erosion due to sea-level rise
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- 2018year
Short summary
37 of 49 Mediterranean cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) in low-lying coastal areas face 100-year flood risk today, and 42 face erosion risk, with risks projected to increase by 50% (flood) and 13% (erosion) by 2100.
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Key points
- 37 of 49 Mediterranean cultural WHS in low-lying coastal areas are currently at risk from a 100-year flood.
- 42 of 49 Mediterranean cultural WHS in low-lying coastal areas are currently at risk from coastal erosion.
- By 2100, flood risk may increase by 50% and erosion risk by 13% across the Mediterranean region.
- The study uses an index-based approach to rank WHS based on coastal flooding and erosion risks under four sea-level rise scenarios.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
UNESCO World Heritage sites (WHS) located in coastal areas are increasingly at risk from coastal hazards due to sea-level rise. In this study, we assess Mediterranean cultural WHS at risk from coastal flooding and erosion under four sea-level rise scenarios until 2100. Based on the analysis of spatially explicit WHS data, we develop an index-based approach that allows for ranking WHS at risk from both coastal hazards. Here we show that of 49 cultural WHS located in low-lying coastal areas of the Mediterranean, 37 are at risk from a 100-year flood and 42 from coastal erosion, already today. Until 2100, flood risk may increase by 50% and erosion risk by 13% across the region, with considerably higher increases at individual WHS. Our results provide a first-order assessment of where adaptation is most urgently needed and can support policymakers in steering local-scale research to devise suitable adaptation strategies for each WHS.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Nature Communications, 2018 · DOI ↗
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Field: Archeology (Arts and Humanities)
ArcheologyArts and Humanities