Coastal Ecological Sensitivity and Risk Assessment: A Case Study of Sea Level Change in Apodi River (Atlantic Ocean), Northeast Brazil

Authors: Mukesh Singh Boori, Venerando Eustáquio Amaro, Helenice Vital

Abstract:

The present study has been carried out with a view to calculate the coastal vulnerability index (CVI) to know the high and low sensitive areas and area of inundation due to future SLR. Both conventional and remotely sensed data were used and analyzed through the modelling technique. Out of the total study area, 8.26% is very high risk, 14.21% high, 9.36% medium, 22.46% low and 7.35% in the very low vulnerable category, due to costal components. Results of the inundation analysis indicate that 225.2 km² and 397 km² of the land area will be submerged by flooding at 1m and 10m inundation levels. The most severely affected sectors are expected to be the residential, industrial and recreational areas. As this coast is planned for future coastal developmental activities, measures such as industrializations, building regulation, urban growth planning and agriculture, development of an integrated coastal zone management, strict enforcement of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act, monitoring of impacts and further research in this regard are recommended for the study area.

Keywords: Coastal planning, land use, satellite data, vulnerability.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1327678

References:

[1] KLEIN, A.H.F.; TRUCOLLO, E.; DIEHL, F.L.; VINTÉM, G. Praias arenosas. In: SERAFIM, C.F.S. (Coord.) O mar no espaço geográfico brasileiro. Brasília: Ministério da Educação, Brasil, 2005. cap. 7. p.221- 226.
[2] Al-Jeneid S, Bahnassy M, Nasr S, El-Raey M. Vulnerability assessment and adaptation to the impacts of sea level rise on the kingdom of Bahrain. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 2008;13:87–104.
[3] Michele Capobianco, Huib De Vriend, Robert Nicholls J, Stive JF. Coastal area impact and vulnerability assessment: the point of view of a morphodynamic modeller. Journal of Coastal Research 1999;15(3):701– 16.
[4] Snoussi M, Ouchani T, Niazi S. Vulnerability assessment of the impact of sea level rise and flooding on the Moroccan coast: the case of the Mediterranean eastern zone. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2008;77:206–13.
[5] Thieler ER, Hammer-Klose ES National assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea level rise, U.S. Atlantic coast. U.S. geological survey open-file report 99- 593; 1999.
[6] Gornitz V. Vulnerability of the east coast, USA to future sea level rise. Journal of Coastal Research 1990;1(9):201–37.
[7] Bishi BS, Kothyari BP. Land cover change analysis of Garur Ganga watershed using GIS/remote sensing technique. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing 2001;29(3):137–41.
[8] KÖPPEN, W. 1948. Climatologia: Um Estúdio de los Climasde la Tierra. Versión de Pedro R. Henrichs. México, Fondo de Cultura Econômica, 478
[9] RADAMBRASIL, 1981. Levantamento de Recursos Naturais Geologia/Geomorfologia/ Pedologia/Vegetação/Uso Potencial da Terra. Rio de Janeiro/RJ: Ministério das Minas e Energia, v. 23 – Folhas SB. 24/25 – Jaguaribe/Natal, 740p.
[10] IDEMA, 1999. Informativo Municipal: Areia Branca. Secretaria de Planejamento e Finanças,Instituto de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Meio Ambiente-IDEMA,p.1-16.
[11] MAFRA, L. C. A. 2002. Caracterização Geológica e Geomorfológica do Município de Porto do Mangue / RN, com Vista à Elaboração do Mapa de Sensibilidade Ambiental ao Derramamento do Óleo. Natal - UFRN/DG – Relatório de Graduação.
[12] Chaves M.S. & Vital H. 2001. Impactos ambientais na zona costeira do Campo PetrolíferoMacau-5, Macau-RN. In: Congresso Brasileiro de P&D em Petróleo e Gás, 1, UFRN –SBQ Regional RN, Natal, Anais, p. 222
[13] IBGE - Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Disponível em: . Acesso em 22 de março de 2007.
[14] Bird Eric CF. Coasts: an introduction to coastal geomorphology. UK: Basil Blackwell Publisher Limited; 1984.
[15] Dwarakish GS. Usha Natesan. Coastal Structures Vs Shoreline Configuration. NITK Research Bulletin 2002;11(3):25–33.
[16] Burrough PA, Mc Donnel RA. Principles of geographical information systems. New York: Oxford University Press; 1998.
[17] Pendleton Elizabeth A, Hammar-Klose Erika S, Thieler E Robert, Williams S Jeffress. Coastal vulnerability assessment of Gulf Islands national seashore (GUIS) to sea-level rise. U.S. geological survey openfile report 03-108; 2003. Available online at
[accessed 27 Apr 2007].
[18] Bruun P. Sea level rise as a cause of shore erosion. Journal of the Waterways and Harbors Division 1962;88(1):117–30.
[19] KNOPPERS, B.; EKAU, W. & FIGUEIREDO, A.G. 1999. The coast and Shelf of east and northeast Brazil and material transport. Geo-Mar. Lett. 19 (3): 171-178.
[20] SILVEIRA, I.M.; VITAL, H.; AMARO, V.E., 2001. Vulnerabilidade e Sensibilidade da Região Costeira de Guamaré-RN. 17° Simpósio de Geologia do Nordeste, Atas, p.41.
[21] SILVA, J. X. & FILHO, L.M.C. 1993. Sistema de Informação: uma proposta metodológica. In: Análise Ambiental: Estratégias e ações. Rio Claro, CEAD -UNESP, p.329-346.
[22] Subramanya KR. Active intraplate deformation in south India. Tectonophysics 1995;262:231–41.
[23] Lillesand Thomas M, Kiefer Ralph W, Chipman Jonathan W. Remote sensing and image interpretation. New York: John Wiley and Sons Publications; 2004.
[24] Rajawat AS, Gupta Mukesh, Pradhan Yaswant, Thomaskutty AV, Nayak SR. Coastal processes along the Indian coast – case studies based on synergistic use of IRS-PA OCM and IRS-1C/1D data. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 2005;34(4):459–72.