Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors

Abstract Increasing coastal flood risk has prompted a proliferation of cities that are adopting risk reduction and adaptation tools. This article inquires into what types of tools local governments tend to adopt for managing coastal flood risk and the factors that may be influencing these choices; i...

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Main Authors: Stephanie E. Chang, Jackie Z. K. Yip, Tugce Conger, Greg Oulahen, Emily Gray, Michelle Marteleira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-12-01
Series:Journal of Flood Risk Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12646
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author Stephanie E. Chang
Jackie Z. K. Yip
Tugce Conger
Greg Oulahen
Emily Gray
Michelle Marteleira
author_facet Stephanie E. Chang
Jackie Z. K. Yip
Tugce Conger
Greg Oulahen
Emily Gray
Michelle Marteleira
author_sort Stephanie E. Chang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Increasing coastal flood risk has prompted a proliferation of cities that are adopting risk reduction and adaptation tools. This article inquires into what types of tools local governments tend to adopt for managing coastal flood risk and the factors that may be influencing these choices; in particular, factors related to hazard vulnerability and institutional capacity. Focusing on 40 diverse coastal communities in a study region in Canada, the study utilised data from the communities' Official Community Plans to characterise their approaches to managing coastal flood risk in terms of land use regulations, construction specifications, and/or structural flood protection tools. The data revealed considerable diversity in the portfolio of tools that the communities have adopted. Tool adoption was found to correlate strongly with hazard vulnerability; that is, communities with similar physical and socio‐economic vulnerability conditions tended to take similar adaptation actions. For example, established communities with highly urbanised coastlines tended to rely on structural flood protection while suburban communities with semi‐developed coastlines predominantly utilised land use regulations. Institutional factors such as resource availability and local leadership, which were operationalised using survey data, exhibited surprisingly little correlation with the types of tools that communities adopted.
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spelling doaj.art-84d595bfdc2b49f7a4d6a0b2bc9f57252022-12-22T00:13:43ZengWileyJournal of Flood Risk Management1753-318X2020-12-01134n/an/a10.1111/jfr3.12646Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factorsStephanie E. Chang0Jackie Z. K. Yip1Tugce Conger2Greg Oulahen3Emily Gray4Michelle Marteleira5School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), University of British Columbia Vancouver CanadaInstitute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), University of British Columbia Vancouver CanadaInstitute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), University of British Columbia Vancouver CanadaDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies Ryerson University Toronto CanadaSchool of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), University of British Columbia Vancouver CanadaSchool of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), University of British Columbia Vancouver CanadaAbstract Increasing coastal flood risk has prompted a proliferation of cities that are adopting risk reduction and adaptation tools. This article inquires into what types of tools local governments tend to adopt for managing coastal flood risk and the factors that may be influencing these choices; in particular, factors related to hazard vulnerability and institutional capacity. Focusing on 40 diverse coastal communities in a study region in Canada, the study utilised data from the communities' Official Community Plans to characterise their approaches to managing coastal flood risk in terms of land use regulations, construction specifications, and/or structural flood protection tools. The data revealed considerable diversity in the portfolio of tools that the communities have adopted. Tool adoption was found to correlate strongly with hazard vulnerability; that is, communities with similar physical and socio‐economic vulnerability conditions tended to take similar adaptation actions. For example, established communities with highly urbanised coastlines tended to rely on structural flood protection while suburban communities with semi‐developed coastlines predominantly utilised land use regulations. Institutional factors such as resource availability and local leadership, which were operationalised using survey data, exhibited surprisingly little correlation with the types of tools that communities adopted.https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12646adaptationcoastal floodingcommunityinstitutional capacityland uselocal government
spellingShingle Stephanie E. Chang
Jackie Z. K. Yip
Tugce Conger
Greg Oulahen
Emily Gray
Michelle Marteleira
Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors
Journal of Flood Risk Management
adaptation
coastal flooding
community
institutional capacity
land use
local government
title Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors
title_full Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors
title_fullStr Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors
title_full_unstemmed Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors
title_short Explaining communities' adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk: Vulnerability and institutional factors
title_sort explaining communities adaptation strategies for coastal flood risk vulnerability and institutional factors
topic adaptation
coastal flooding
community
institutional capacity
land use
local government
url https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12646
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