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Responding to Rising Seas
OECD Country Approaches to Tackling Coastal Risks
There is an urgent need to ensure that coastal areas are adapting to the impacts of
climate change. Risks in these areas are projected to increase because of rising sea
levels and development pressures. This report reviews how OECD countries can use their
national adaptation planning processes to respond to this challenge. Specifically,
the report examines how countries approach shared costs and responsibilities for coastal
risk management and how this encourages or hinders risk-reduction behaviour by households,
businesses and different levels of government. The report outlines policy tools that
national governments can use to encourage an efficient, effective and equitable response
to ongoing coastal change. It is informed by new analysis on the future costs of sea-level
rise, and the main findings from four case studies (Canada, Germany, New Zealand and
the United Kingdom).
Published on March 06, 2019Also available in: French
Watch this video to learn how the OECD recommends tackling the issue
WEBINAR Video recording: responding to rising seas
Coastal regions are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, due to their exposure to the combined effects of sea level rise and intense storm events. Coastal risks are set to intensify in the future, with the potential to bring unprecedented costs to livelihoods and economies. How can governments identify, prepare for and respond to these risks?
On 6 March 2019, Lisa Danielson of the OECD Environment Directorate and Alexander Bisaro of the Global Climate Forum discussed how OECD countries are responding to these risks, and what more could be done in the future. The presentation was based on the above report.