College of Science & Engineering

Prof Larissa Naylor, Dr Jim Hansom, Ms Freya Muir, Dr Martin Hurst, Dr James Fitton, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

Coastal flooding and erosion is one of the biggest risks to the UK; the National Climate Change Risk Assessment anticipates increases in sea level, coastal erosion and flooding. University of Glasgow researchers from the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences developed Scotland-wide assessment tools (Dynamic Coast - Scotland’s National Coastal Change Assessment (NCCA)) showing that over the next 30 years, 20% of the Scottish coast and its adjacent assets (value: £400M) are at erosion risk. These tools identify areas where the risk is greatest and where urgent action is required. This has impacted: (i) policy, allowing the Scottish Government and its agencies to meet statutory requirements; (ii) planning decisions in at-risk areas; (iii) dredging practices; (iv) protection of historic Scottish coastal assets.

Dynamic Coast Phase 2 (2018-2020) seeks to enhance the evidence base for adaptation along soft, rural to semi-rural coasts in Scotland but does not currently extend to urban areas. By working alongside Scottish Natural Heritage and Edinburgh Adapts, this EPSRC IAA project is identifying social, natural and built assets locally at risk by downscaling data from Dynamic Coast Phase 2 in a key urban coastal area at risk: the City of Edinburgh. To date the research has identified several at risk sites along the northern Edinburgh coastal fringe and which is now impacting on planning and development decision making.