Suchergebnisse

Abstract
For millions of people living along the coastal fringe, sea level rise is perhaps the greatest threat to livelihoods over the coming century. With the refinement and downscaling of global climate models and increasing availability of airborne-lidar-based inundation models, it is possible to predict and quantify these threats with reasonable accuracy where such information is available. For less developed countries, especially small island states, access to high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from lidar is limited. The only freely available DEMs that could be used for inundation modeling by these nations are those based on data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). These data, with a horizontal resolution of ≈90 m and a vertical accuracy of ±5–10 m, are generally unsuitable for local-scale planning and adaption projects. To address this disparity, low-cost ground-based techniques were tested and applied to accurately determine coastal topography in the Solomon Islands. This method had a significantly improved vertical accuracy (±2 cm) and was readily learned by local community members, who were able to independently map and determine the vulnerability of their costal community to inundation from sea level rise. For areas where lidar is not economically viable, this method is intended to provide an important balance of cost, simplicity, accuracy, and local participation that can assist remote coastal communities with coastal planning decisions. The method can enhance local capacity and arguably promotes more meaningful local engagement in sea level rise planning and adaptation activities.

The marine biodiversity in the Coral Triangle sustains the livelihoods of roughly 100 million coastal people, yet this region is under threat from numerous local and global stressors. Regional actions underway to address coastal and marine degradation and an improve understanding of the social-ecological links between people and their environment. Economic assessments of coral reef provisioning services afforded to rural communities in Solomon Islands identified a diverse range of fisheries-based (fish, seaweed, clam, trochus, crayfish and shells) and coral-based (sand, rubble, stone, and corals for lime, aquarium and curio trades) products. Fisheries products (in particular reef fish) were important for both village subsistence and cash economies, providing the equivalent of US $5173 (7515) annually per respondent. In contrast, coral products contributed the equivalent of US $2213 (7396) annually per respondent, primarily to cash economies, particularly in study villages located in close proximity to national markets. Extractive coral activities have the potential to reduce reef resilience, diminish the viability of fisheries and so compromise the livelihoods of dependent communities. Improved management, legislative review and livelihood diversification strategies are likely to be required to manage coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide across the Coral Triangle region