Session: 12-03-01 Coastal Processes I

Paper Number: 126095

126095 - Future Response of Global Wave Attenuation by Coastal Vegetation to Climate Change 

In the context of climate change, the frequency of global coastal disasters is steadily increasing. Owing to their ability to attenuate wave energy, coastal vegetation has garnered significant attention in mitigating coastal flood hazards. Multiple studies have confirmed the effectiveness of vegetation in reducing wave energy under current climate conditions. However, failing to evaluate the value of coastal vegetation in wave attenuation within the context of climate change could lead to overestimations or underestimations of their future protective capabilities. Employing classical theories, we, for the first time, present a map depicting changes in the efficacy of global coastal vegetation in attenuating waves under future coastal wave climate scenarios. By the end of the 21st century, we anticipate a weakening of wave attenuation capacities in 27.3% of mangrove coastlines and 45.9% of saltmarsh coastlines, with some coastal vegetation experiencing a 90% reduction in wave attenuation capability. The contributions of wave height, wave period, and sea level change to the future alteration of mangrove wave attenuation capacities are 0.74, 0.13, and 0.13, respectively, while the contributions to saltmarsh wave attenuation capacities are 0.58, 0.27, and 0.15. This study provides essential support for coastal disaster management, vulnerability assessment, and climate adaptation research in the context of future vegetation coastal protection projects worldwide.

Presenting Author: Zhan Hu Sun Yat-sen University

Presenting Author Biography: Zhan Hu holds a PhD in Coastal Engineering of TU Delft, the Netherlands. His research interests are the bio-physical interactions in coastal ecosystems, and their implications for coastal management. I investigate wave dissipation by vegetation, marsh/ mangrove lateral dynamics and morphological equilibrium in the intertidal environment. The common objective of these studies is to improve our understanding on the resilience of coastal ecosystems and their effectiveness for flood defence. In these studies, laboratory and field experiments are combined with theoretical and numerical modelling. Zhan Hu are now building our M5 lab (Mudflat, Marsh, Mangrove, Measurement & Modelling) and we welcome new members and collaborators in our lab.

Authors:

Zhan Hu Sun Yat-sen University
Kunhui Huang Sun Yat-sen University