CoastalRes: Coastal Resilience Model Prototype, 2019-2020

The prototype Coastal Resilience Model (CRM) quantifies the economic, environmental and social dimensions of resilience with reference to a suite of performance measures that can be assessed using open-access geospatial datasets. The analytical approach uses Multiple-Criteria Analysis (MCA) methodology to derive a composite Resilience Index derived from a broad set of diverse measures and data, as well as stakeholder weightings. MCA has been criticised for the inherent subjectivity in the identification of the measures, and their normalisation (scoring) and relative weighting. However, used constructively, it provides an explicit and transparent representation of different stakeholder perspectives and priorities which are an essential component of evaluating resilience. CRM expands current risk-based shoreline management planning to take account of some of the complexity of community characteristics and local priorities, while recognising that these occur within a much broader coastal system. In addition to mapping the current state of coastal resilience, the CRM can also represent past and future resilience. Given suitable hazard and socio-economic scenarios, modelled resilience time trajectories can be created using CRM to reveal the impact of alternative coastal development and adaptive pathways