Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change: A case study in Durban, South Africa

Research done by the IPCC working groups and other organizations has sparked global concern over the possible impacts of climate change and corresponding sea level rise upon coastal communities. In reaction global studies were done (Nicholls et al., 2008, Hanson et al., 2011) to assess the vulnerability of coastal regions. However, most of these publications did not address the development of climate adaptation designs to protect the coastline. In this study it is demonstrated how a localized coastal vulnerability assessment could guide the development of conceptual designs in an African context. The overall aim of this thesis is the appraisal of climate adaptation measures and coastal management strategies for Durban, South Africa. The main focus is on an illustrative case study, for a coastal section along Durban´s central beaches. The case study is an example of how the vulnerability to coastal hazards could be assessed, for different SLR scenarios, to provide guidance for developing conceptual coastal protection designs. The March 2007 storm event (estimated to have a one in 50 year return period) indicated that significant damage can be sustained from coastal hazards in Durban at the current conditions. A one in 100 year storm is shown to already affect the operations of critical infrastructure in current conditions such as the beach road in the vulnerability assessment. The vulnerability increases significantly for future SLR scenarios. Softer, sediment based protection solutions were preferred for the case study due to the environmental, recreational and touristic requirements of the beachfront. Protection solutions developed for the two SLR scenarios give an idea of the footprint of different options and how easily the can be adapted to higher water levels. The vulnerability assessment and proposed protection solutions could be used as a basic tool for budgeting and long term spatial planning as it gives indicative costs and an idea about the areas that could potentially be at risk to coastal hazards. Developing a generic vulnerability assessment methodology could be beneficial for local municipalities. Completing similar vulnerability assessment studies (or more detailed studies) at other vulnerable coastal locations is a recommended starting point for the climate adaptation process and to inform global vulnerability and adaptation studies. Local governments are recommended to gather local data, assess vulnerability, propose a strategy to deal with future SLR scenarios and develop protection solutions for critical areas.CoMEM - Coastal and Marine Engineering and ManagementSection Hydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience