• Energy Research

Faced with sea level rise and the intensification of extreme events, human populations living on the coasts are developing responses to address local situations. A synthesis of the literature on responses to coastal adaptation allows us to highlight different adaptation strategies. Here, we analyze these strategies according to the complexity of their implementation, both institutionally and technically. First, we distinguish two opposing paradigms – fighting against rising sea levels or adapting to new climatic conditions; and second, we observe the level of integrated management of the strategies. This typology allows a distinction between four archetypes with the most commonly associated governance modalities for each. We then underline the need for hybrid approaches and adaptation trajectories over time to take into account local socio-cultural, geographical, and climatic conditions as well as to integrate stakeholders in the design and implementation of responses. We show that dynamic and participatory policies can foster collective learning processes and enable the evolution of social values and behaviors. Finally, adaptation policies rely on knowledge and participatory engagement, multi-scalar governance, policy monitoring, and territorial solidarity. These conditions are especially relevant for densely populated areas that will be confronted with sea level rise, thus for coastal cities in particular.

Arctic coastal areas: • faster and greater modifications than other coastlines (Overduin et al. 2014). • little known about the physical processes that control coastal high-latitudes and how they will evolve (Zagorski et al. 2013). - NW Spitsbergen: post-LIA retreating glaciers and destabilization of glacial landforms by climate change have released a substantial amount of sediment which is reworked by runoff and builts coastal sandur deltas (Mercier & Laffly, 2005). - Purpose: to understand the post-Little Ice Age sedimentary transfer in Kongsfjorden. Quantification of the coastal evolution from 1966 to 2014. Material and Methods: - Shoreline evolution: • 1966-1990: photo interpretation of aerial photographs from 1966, 1971, 1977,1990. • 2011-2014: dGPS data Reference line parallel to the coast with reference points every 50 m. Shoreline movements measured by calculation distance between reference points and each shoreline. Different metric error for each year of measurement. - Prodeltas evolution: • side scan sonar mosaics interpreted for 2009, 2011 and 2012. Results: Shoreline evolution from 1966 to 1990: • Coastal progradation trend. • Delta 3 was the most dynamic: mean of + 4.83 m/yr and max advance value of +86 m. • Total coastal progradation estimated at 78 889 m². - Shoreline evolution from 2011 to 2014: • Each delta prograded on their west side and is eroded on their east side. • Except for delta 3, progradation is higher than erosion. • Delta 1 experienced the strongest shoreline progradation with a mean of + 4.04 m/yr. - Prodeltas evolution from 2009 to 2012: • Prodelta (a) remained stable. • Extent increase of prodeltas (b) and (c): Prodelta (b): + 9000 m² = + 56 % Prodelta (c): + 30 000 m² = + 27 % • In 2012, the total surface of the prodeltas is estimated at 60 267 m² for prodelta (a), 24 270 m² for prodelta (b) and 135 498 m² for prodelta (c). Conclusion: Coastal progradation and prodeltas extent illustrate the substantial sedimentary input in the fjord. - This progradation coastal trend should continue until the run out of the sedimentary supply due to runoff.

Climate change has been a central concern over recent years, with visible and highly publicized consequences such as melting Arctic ice and mountain glaciers, rising sea levels, and the submersion of low-lying coastal areas during mid-latitude and tropical cyclones.This book presents a review of the spatial impacts of contemporary climate change, with a focus on a systematic, multi-scalar approach. Beyond the facts – rises in temperature, changes in the spatial distribution of precipitation, melting of the marine and terrestrial cryosphere, changes in hydrological regimes at high and medium latitudes, etc. – it also analyzes the geopolitical consequences in the Arctic and Central Asia, changes to Mediterranean culture and to viticulture on a global scale, as well as impacts on the distribution of life, for example, in the Amazon rainforest, in large biomes on a global scale, and for birds.

Purpose Based on social representation theory, this study aims to evaluate and analyze the similarities and differences between social representations of climate change held by people living in two territories, which have in common that they are exposed to coastal risks but have different socio-cultural contexts: on the one hand, Cartagena (Colombia) and on the other, Guadeloupe (French overseas department, France). Design/methodology/approach A double approach, both quantitative and qualitative, of social representation theory was adopted. The data collection was undertaken in two phases. First, the content and organization of social representation of climate change (SRCC) was examined with a quantitative study of 946 participants for both countries, followed by a qualitative study of 63 participants for both countries also. Findings The study finds unicity in the SRCC for the quantitative study. In contrast, the qualitative study highlights differences at the level of the institutional anchoring of the climate change phenomenon in these two different socioeconomic and political contexts. Practical implications These results are relevant for a reflection in terms of public policies for the prevention and management of collective natural risks, as well as for the promotion of ecological behavior adapted to political and ideological contexts. Originality/value The use of a multi-methodological approach (quantitative and qualitative) in the same research is valuable to confirm the importance of an in-depth study of the social representations of climate change because of the complexity of the phenomenon.

Abstract Coastal flooding along the Atlantic coast caused by Storm Xynthia killed 41 people. The location and configuration of residential housing were the main factors affecting the vulnerability of people to flooding. The French government responded by destroying buildings in the most flood-prone areas and relocating residents to safer areas. This strategy attracted much criticism, in particular because of the high costs involved with demolition on this scale, and that not insufficient consideration was given to other possible solutions. In this study, the goal is to compare different adaptation strategies in terms of cost of implementation and efficiency in order to reduce the vulnerability of houses to flooding. The strategies are grouped based on: (i) protection, (ii) relocation, (iii) housing architectural adaptation, and (iv) preventive warning and evacuation. This work is applied to La Gueriniere, an Atlantic coastal town at risk of coastal flooding, although it was not impacted by Storm Xynthia. The initial results show that the most efficient strategy to reduce housing vulnerability to coastal flooding is also the most expensive. Ranked from the most to the least efficient and expensive, the strategies are as follows: (i) relocation, (ii) housing architectural adaptation, (iii) protection, (iv) and preventive warning and evacuation. Until now, these strategies have been limited as they omit human behaviour in response to coastal flooding scenarios. Therefore, this study examines the role of human behaviour in relation to different mitigative strategies. The efficiency and costs of the strategies are then reappraised.