Disaster Vulnerability Assessment in Coastal Areas of Korea

In this study, the vulnerability to disaster in the coastal areas of Korea was assessed for the safe utilization and value enhancement of coastal areas. The framework of the coastal disaster vulnerability assessment has been adopted from the concept of climate change vulnerability of the IPCC (2001). Coastal Disaster Impact Index(CDII) is defined as a function of exposure and sensitivity, and the Coastal Disaster Vulnerability Index (CDVI) includes those as well as adaptive capacity. Indicators of exposure consisted of typhoon, surge, wave, tide, SLR and coastal erosion. Indicators of sensitivity consisted of human, property and geography. And adaptive capacity consisted of socioeconomic and governmental adaptive capacity. The parameters of these 11 indicators were gathered from government agencies, numerical model experiments and field surveys. Spatial analysis was performed by using the GIS program after passing the quality test, and analysed data were standardized and classified into 5 numerical grades. The results of the CDVI were grade 1: 2,737.3km (28.4%), grade 2: 1,667.2km (17.3%), grade 3: 1,402.3km (14.5%), grade 4: 1,758.7km (18.2%), and grade 5: 2,083.8km (21.6%) of the total 9,649.3km. The CDVI value was high in Jindo-gun and Haenamgun, when analysed with an index that includes the adaptive capacity to the disaster of the local governments and CDII. Coastal disaster vulnerability assessment results are used as reference indicators to identify the cause of coastal disasters, to establish countermeasures, to aid the decision-making process regarding the sustainable development in coastal areas, thus contributing to effective and safe coastal management.