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Adapting to sea level rise and storms.
Robert Mendelsohn1, Jinge Li1, Jonghyun Yoo2,3
1Yale School of the Environment, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
Scientific Reports
|May 17, 2026
Summary
Coastal cities can minimize sea level rise (SLR) adaptation costs by strategically building seawalls in high-damage areas. Flood insurance manages risk aversion, guiding optimal protection strategies through 2180.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Climate change adaptation
- Coastal engineering
Background:
- Sea level rise (SLR) necessitates coastal adaptation strategies for urban areas.
- Rural coastlines face retreat, while cities require protective measures.
- Optimizing the use of seawalls, flood insurance, and retreat is crucial for minimizing societal costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine dynamic coastal adaptation strategies in six US East Coast cities through 2180.
- To determine optimal seawall design and placement to minimize total coastal flooding costs.
- To assess the role of flood insurance in managing risk aversion.
Main Methods:
- Dynamic coastal adaptation modeling.
- Economic analysis of seawall costs versus residual flood damage.
- Scenario planning for sea level rise impacts.
Main Results:
- Seawalls are cost-effective only in areas with high expected damage per kilometer.
- Optimal seawall height is approximately 1-2 meters.
- Increased sea level rise accelerates the need for urban seawall construction.
Conclusions:
- Strategic placement of seawalls is key for cost-effective coastal protection.
- Flood insurance can mitigate risks associated with residual flood damage.
- Future coastal adaptation will require more urban seawalls as sea level rise accelerates.
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