Global Approaches to Coastal Erosion and Landslide Management – Understanding the Risks, Empowering Communities and Building Resilience

Over half of the population of the world lives on or close to the coast and in many locations this results in severe development pressures, which impact upon both the physical and natural environments. Within these coastal zones the processes of erosion and landsliding, both natural and man-made hazards, affect communities and infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change are widely expected to further increase risks to society. The expansion of the global population has increased the vulnerability of individuals and assets as demand for housing and other developments has gradually spread onto cliff tops and coastal slopes, which are often of marginal stability.