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This paper aims to discuss rising sea levels at the global, regional, and community scale and illustrate the necessity for public comprehension and involvement. It also aims to demonstrate geographic information systems (GIS) as an efficient tool for modeling and disseminating information with the expectation that coastal communities will benefit by joining in a process to integrate this knowledge into broad‐based decision making.

GIS is capable of creating, analyzing, and displaying sea level rise scenarios enabling local officials to address the negative effects of elevated sea levels by allowing them to identify both built and biotic communities that are at risk, assess the situation, and develop mitigation strategies. The paper makes use of a case study of Daytona Beach, Florida, to examine the impacts of storm surge.

A GIS model, produced for south Florida integrating land use and elevation data to illustrate locations that lie below five feet, reveals that heavily populated urban areas in Miami‐Dade County could be inundated during extreme high tide and storm surge events. The GIS also indicates that much of the Florida Keys has elevations below five feet and is at risk of flooding if sea levels rise at projected rates.

The case study of Daytona Beach, Florida, can be replicated at other coastal locations by using GIS to assimilate spatial data and generate meaningful graphic models to be interpreted by those responsible for minimizing the risks from rising sea levels.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the risk due to climate induced disasters in coastal regions. Coastal areas, being economically attractive and ecologically fragile, need altogether different development approaches. The paper also explores the applicability of stakeholder theory for managing coastal regions in a sustainable manner. This paper should help policymakers when making their decisions to maintain coastal regions’ prosperity.

The paper opted for an exploratory study using secondary information available at various levels. This paper presents the case study of the coastal region of Gujarat. It starts by evaluating the present status of the coastal resources and their degradation. It then assesses the risk due to climate induced coastal hazards. It has critically reviewed the policy response towards coastal issues and problems. The applicability of stakeholder approach had been tested for coastal management.

The paper has identified that in an absence of stakeholder approach, the current planning strategies have failed to deal with coastal issues and problems. The coastal region needs a special attention for sustaining its development. An integrated regional framework for coastal development is required which encompasses trade‐off among various sectors. The region needs a long‐term regional land use planning, which can facilitate the disaster resilience and adaptation strategies for local communities. Finally adopting a stakeholder approach is recommended, to improve the ecological productivity and biodiversity of the coastal region.

The research has important policy implications for the state of Gujarat and infers that the stakeholder approach is the most appropriate approach for planning the development of the coastal region.

The paper has direct policy implications for the government of Gujarat and Government of India. Coastal planning needs a systematic approach to have an integrated development. The use of stakeholder approach can solve many issues and problems of coastal conflicts. Such an approach is very important for the protection and sustainable development of the coastal region. This also has colossal relevance for any developing countries preparing coastal region development plans.

The suggestions incorporated in the paper have also looked into the consideration of environmental conservation and protection of rights to livelihood for marginalized groups such as fishing communities.

The use of stakeholder theory for public sector planning is a new approach in a research. The paper has delved into the requirement of stakeholder approach in coastal planning for developing the coastal economy and conserving the coastal environment.

This paper aims to present a hydrodynamic river modelling by incorporating river flow and sea‐level rise interactions.

Predicted sea levels from renowned studies are put to test on flow scenarios of the Sarawak River in the deltaic city of Kuching, Malaysia. Three cases are drawn for investigation, including one extreme flood event, one normal flow with low tide, and another normal flow with spring tide.

The model predicts a worst case that nearly 5‐6 km² of urban land along the Lower Sarawak River would be under water due to the rise.

Such an indication would draw a clearer picture for strategy and mitigation planning.

Generally sea level estimation involves ocean‐atmospheric modelling. However, the paper argues here that a river model is credible for practical hydrological site‐specific analysis to include increase of sea levels.

This study aims to support the development risk management strategies towards improving the resilience of assets located in the estuary and lower level of the Swan River, Western Australia. The study evaluated the key role of Federal/State policies in adaptation planning and the communication and interface between various stakeholders, including State/Local governments, construction professionals, property developers and landowners.

The study applied a mixed research approach through a questionnaire survey followed by an in-depth interview involving local construction experts. Collected data were analysed following the grounded theory methodology style of data analysis.

The findings revealed a convoluted understanding of communication networks and responsibility for owning the future risks between relevant stakeholders. As a result, a framework illustrating clear process and roles in mitigating risk and implementing adaptive asset management measures has been formulated and presented in this study.

Scientific evidence suggested that sea-level rise and increased frequency of major coastal flooding events are inevitable as early as 2100, and having a comprehensive risk management plan of assets to anticipate climate risks and to improve urban resilience is essential. The proposed framework is aimed at local stakeholders in improving current state of communication and adaptation planning as a pathway to develop a robust risk management strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the cause of global warming, its trends and consequences as indicated by the International Panel on Climate Change. Sea‐level rise is one consequence of particular concern to Pacific Island states. It also reviews the views of economists about connections between economic growth and global warming.

International efforts, such as through the Kyoto protocol, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their atmospheric concentration are discussed and prospects for post‐Kyoto policies are considered. Ways are also examined of addressing the consequences of global warming for the Pacific Island states. How they will be affected and to what extent is discussed, together with their ability to cope with the emerging problem.

The paper finds that whereas the majority of economists did not foresee a conflict between economic growth and global warming, the possibility of such a conflict is now more widely recognized following the Stern Report. It is predicted that a significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be achieved in the foreseeable future owing to conflicting national interest (a prisoners' dilemma problem) and because is will take time to develop new technologies which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, payment for greenhouse gas emissions (for example, via tradable permits) will accelerate desirable technological advance. Both international political action and efforts to develop and use technologies that lower greenhouse gas emissions need to be pursued. Given current and likely increases in greenhouse gas emissions, continuing global warming in this century (and beyond) appears to be inevitable and consequently Pacific Island states will be adversely affected by sea‐level rise and climate change.

The paper emphasizes that Pacific Island states will suffer great hardship from global warming but are ill‐placed geographically, financially and administratively to prevent or adjust to the possible environmental disasters that await them. Nothing may save some from eventual environmental annihilation.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of climate change on some specific areas of agricultural production in Quang Nam Province, including assessing the possibility of losing agricultural land owing to sea level rise; assessing the impact on rice productivity; and, assessing the impact on crop water demand.

This study used the method of collecting and processing statistics data; method of analysis, comparison and evaluation; method of geographic information system; method of using mathematical model; and method of professional solution, to assess the impacts of climate change.

Evaluation results in Quang Nam Province show that, by the end of the 21st century, winter–spring rice productivity may decrease by 33%, while summer–autumn rice productivity may decrease by 49%. Under representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario, water demand increases by 31.1% compared to the baseline period, of which the winter–spring crop increases by 28.4%, and the summer–autumn crop increased by 34.3%. Under RCP 8.5 scenario, water demand increases by 54.1% compared to the baseline period, of which the winter–spring crop increases by 46.7%, and the summer–autumn crop increased by 63.1%. The area of agricultural land likely to be inundated by sea level rise at 50 cm is 418.32 ha, and at 80 cm, it is 637.07 ha.

To propose adaptation solution to avoid the impacts of climate change on agriculture, it is necessary to consider about the impact on losing land for agriculture, the impact on rice productivity, assess the impact on crop water demand and other. The result of this assessment is useful for policymakers for forming the agriculture development plan.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the vulnerability of Florida’s coastal destinations to climate change and the costs of the adaptation measures required to cope with the impacts of climate change in a range of current and future scenarios.

The paper illustrates a range of current and projected climate change scenarios in Florida, the challenges the state is already experiencing in dealing with the impacts of climate change and some of the measures adopted to date in three particularly vulnerable coastal destinations, namely Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach and Sarasota.

Although tourism is the number one industry in Florida, the state holds a particularly vulnerable position with respect to climate change. The vacuum of political will to address these issues at the state level is thus of particular concern given the vulnerable position of Florida’s coastal areas. With nearly 10 percent of its land area lying at less than one meter above the present sea level, adaptation is especially urgent in Florida. The local government of Florida’s cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach and Sarasota are not willing to surrender to sea level rise (SLR). However, without a strong political will to address climate change at the state and federal levels, the costs of adapting to an escalating SLR are becoming progressively unsustainable.

This illustrative case study paper provides a contemporary synthesis of the implications for Florida’s coastal tourism destinations of rising sea levels and those adaptation strategies deemed appropriate in the search for their longer-term sustainability.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent of climate change likely to be manifested in the MENA region using statistical tools as well as outputs from physics‐based General Circulation Models (GCMs).

Atmospheric temperature and precipitation primarily capture climate change features and are considered the drivers of other manifestations of climate change such as rises in sea‐level, tropical cyclone intensities, severe floods, prolonged droughts, and retreating ice. Data on atmospheric temperature and precipitation have been statistically analysed for trend, distribution and variability in this study. Long‐range prediction is then made using time series analysis. Long‐range projections have also been made by many investigators using physics‐based GCMs and the Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC provides a summary. IPCC projections are not indisputable because of some inherent limitations of GCMs. A comparative study is made between statistical predictions and IPCC projections, as well as forecasts from some GCMs specifically applied to the region, to develop a more reliable forecast scenario. Water resources projects are quite vulnerable to changes in atmospheric temperature and precipitation amounts. The various aspects of planning, design and management of water resources projects which are likely to be influenced by climate change are discussed.

There is considerable variability in atmospheric temperature and precipitation in recent observations but if the variability is filtered out and the underlying trend extrapolated it is found that there is in general an agreement between IPCC projections and statistical predictions. For rise in atmospheric temperature projections made from many GCMs applied to the region, as well as projections summarised in the Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC, appear to be good estimates to be included in design considerations. For precipitation, statistical predictions are perhaps a better choice because GCM projections are less reliable with precipitation since associated meteorological processes occur at a much smaller scale than the grid size of a GCM. For low‐lying coastal regions sea‐level rise and more frequent extreme climatic events such as tropical cyclones add to the dimensionality of design considerations especially for infrastructure design.

This paper presents a comparative study of possible climate change in the long‐term between physics‐based model projections and statistical predictions. This should provide greater insight into climate change that is expected in MENA and reduce uncertainty, thereby instilling greater confidence in water resources planners and practitioners to incorporate climate change aspects into decision making. This research is believed to be particularly helpful because of scant research work done on this part of the globe on climate change.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of travel and tourism industry in climate change and to consider the implications of climate change for the travel and tourism industry.

The paper outlines why the Caribbean is currently the most tourism‐dependent region in the world and profiles the reasons why the island economies of the Caribbean are so vulnerable to climate change.

The paper advocates action based on the available evidence and the fact that most of the essential infrastructure for tourism is located at or near the shoreline, in areas that will be vulnerable to sea‐level rise and storm surge. This combination of dependency and vulnerability makes the Caribbean a particularly pertinent and poignant example of how countries can come to rely on an industry that might prove to contain the seed of not only its own destruction, but also that of some vulnerable host economies.

This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the key evidence relating to the growing threat of climate change to the Caribbean.