City Resilience towards Coastal Hazards: An Integrated Bottom-Up and Top-Down Assessment

Rina Suryani Oktari,Hizir Sofyan,Khairul Munadi,Syamsidik Syamsidik,Rinaldi Idroes

doi:10.3390/w12102823

Abstract

Community resilience is increasingly required to adapt to the effects of the frequency and severity of the ever-increasing number of coastal hazards. This paper uses the case study of the city of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, which was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, with the aim of investigating the city’s level of resilience towards coastal hazards. This paper aims to: (i) assess the preparedness of coastal communities; (ii) evaluate the level of resilience of the city to coastal hazards; and (iii) formulate strategic steps in an effort to mitigate coastal hazards in Banda Aceh. The evaluation was conducted using mixed methods (both quantitative and qualitative) through data triangulation. Data collection involved 311 household surveys, two focus group discussions with 30 participants, and interviews with seven representatives from government and non-government organisations. Regarding the survey, the preparedness level of Banda Aceh’s residents is categorised as “low“. The results of overall city resilience assessments are also classified as “low”. This finding indicates that more planned, systematic, and sustainable efforts are needed. Hence, this study also recommends strategies to enhance resilience in dealing with coastal hazards.

Highlights

Over the coming decades, demographic trends are likely to confirm that more and innumerable people are living in areas that are vulnerable to disaster risk
Efforts to anticipate and reduce the impacts of coastal hazards are among the main focuses in the 2015–2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR)
The method of assessing community preparedness in facing coastal hazards that have been used in this study provides necessary information about what is occurring in the field

Summary

Introduction

Demographic trends are likely to confirm that more and innumerable people are living in areas that are vulnerable to disaster risk. These coastal hazards significantly impair social, cultural, and natural assets and vital resources for communities living in low-lying coastal zones. Efforts to anticipate and reduce the impacts of coastal hazards are among the main focuses in the 2015–2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). Some of the targets include incorporating strengthening resilience and adapting to the adverse effects of natural hazards and climate change. This is done by integrating climate-related actions into development policies, strategies, and planning [8,9]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion