Preparing for Coastal Disasters

This presentation considers oil spills in the context of coastal disasters generally. Examining the empirical literature on a range of disasters that have struck coastal communities around the world -- from oil spills to hurricanes and tsunamis -- it identifies key findings with respect to the particular vulnerabilities of coastal communities, the short- and long-term impacts of coastal disasters, and approaches to enhancing social-ecological resilience. Particular attention is paid to economic impacts in relation to port and other coastal transportation infrastructure, as well as sectors such as fisheries and coastal tourism. Several cases of disaster-impacted coastal communities are compared with regard to recovery timeframes, long-term social and economic changes, and resilience to future disasters. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the potential for model-based tools to identify, visualize, and forecast future coastal disasters, particularly from the perspective of anticipating economic impacts and post-disaster recovery.