Coasts in Crisis: A Global ChallengeCoastal regions around the world have become increasingly crowded, intensively developed, and severely exploited. Hundreds of millions of people living in these low-lying areas are subject to short-term coastal hazards such as cyclones, hurricanes, and destruction due to El Niņo, and are also exposed to the long-term threat of global sea-level rise. These massive concentrations of people expose often-fragile coastal environments to the runoff and pollution from municipal, industrial, and agricultural sources as well as the impacts of resource exploitation and a wide range of other human impacts. Can environmental impacts be reduced or mitigated and can coastal regions adapt to natural hazards? Coasts in Crisis is a comprehensive assessment of the impacts that the human population is having on the coastal zone globally and the diverse ways in which coastal hazards impact human settlement and development. Gary Griggs provides a concise overview of the individual hazards, risks, and issues threatening the coastal zone. |
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algae Atlantic atmosphere ballast water barrier islands beach bluff California Cape Wind carbon dioxide cities climate change CO₂ coast coastal ocean coastal waters coastline construction cooling coral reefs costs damage dams debris decades desalination discharge drilling Earth earthquake effects electricity energy erosion feet figure fish fisheries flooding fossil fuels freshwater future Gary Griggs global greenhouse greenhouse gas groundwater human hurricanes important increasing industry intake invasive species Island Japan land largest licensed under CC major marine miles nations natural nearly North nuclear ocean acidification offshore wind organisms Pacific Pacific Plate percent Photo plankton plastic plate population potential power plants produce pumping reduce regions river sand sea level sea-level rise seafloor seawater sediment sewage shellfish ships shoreline sources species storm surge subduction zone subsidence surface temperature tidal tides tion tropical tropical cyclones tsunami turbines United warming wastewater waves wind farms