Coastal vulnerability map of Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha, India: A satellite based approach to develop two-dimensional vulnerability maps

Abstract

Assessment of coastal vulnerability has achieved a recent pace due to the increasing frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones and anticipated sea-level rise. The coastal vulnerability is often assessed along the shoreline and it fails to capture the inland physical variabilities. During storm surge, rivers and creeks act as carriers that induce inundation to the low-lying inland areas causing damage to the invaluable coastal livelihood. The study addresses this gap by developing an approach to assess the vulnerability of a coastal inland as two-dimensional vulnerability maps that captures the physical and demographic variabilities of the inland region. We have estimated the coastal vulnerability for Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha, along the eastern Indian coast using coastal landforms, elevation, creek order, proximity to the creek, proximity to the open coast as the physical variables. The analysis resulted in the classification of 31 villages as highly vulnerable that are mostly located over swales and low-lying areas adjacent to creeks. More than half of the villages are located away from the shoreline, which are not considered in the conventional method of vulnerability assessment. Further, we assessed the social vulnerability of the 31 vulnerable villages and the composite map identified 18 villages as highly vulnerable, out of which 9 villages are located away from the shoreline. As the drainage network carry the surge water landwards, the vulnerability estimation have to consider the physical and social characteristics of the coastal inland region. The study finds its applicability in identifying the vulnerable areas along the coast for disaster reduction under a climate change scenario.