Student researcher

Dr Timothy Ramm Research Leader

Preparing communities for sea level rise and increased coastal flooding is a difficult task. This research has helped advance the development and analysis of improved long-term coastal adaption strategies under the conditions of uncertainty. Billions of dollars of infrastructure in Australia could be threatened by rising sea levels by the end of the century. Although such timeframes appear distant, planning and development decisions made today will help to mitigate these future threats. Coastal infrastructure, such as roads, utilities, rail, residential and commercial buildings, often last between 20-100 years. This research developed an interdisciplinary approach to advance the planning of long-term adaptation pathways in the context of coastal flood risk management.

Utilising three case studies in south east Australia, the study combines the strengths of robust decision making and dynamic adaptive policy pathways – both prominent tools to support decision making under conditions of uncertainty – together with solicited values-based information to make three novel advances towards flexible adaptation pathways planning. The findings can support local government in planning sustainable strategies to manage long-term flood impacts. This has global applications for coastal flood risk management that will become increasingly important throughout the coming century.

This project was completed in 2018.

Year Type Citation
2018 Journal Article Ramm, T., Watson, C. Stephen & White, C. J. Describing adaptation tipping points in coastal flood risk management. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 69, (2018).
2018 Journal Article Ramm, T., Watson, C. Stephen & White, C. J. Strategic adaptation pathway planning to manage sea-level rise and changing coastal flood risk. Environmental Science & Policy 87, 9 (2018).
2018 Thesis Ramm, T. Improving adaptation planning for future sea level rise and coastal flooding. Environmental Engineering (2018). at <https://eprints.utas.edu.au/29624/>
2017 Journal Article Ramm, T., Graham, S., White, C. J. & Watson, C. Stephen. Advancing values-based approaches to climate change adaptation: A case study from Australia. Environmental Science & Policy 76, 113-123 (2017).
2017 Journal Article Ramm, T., White, C. J., Chan, A. H. C. & Watson, C. Stephen. A review of methodologies applied in Australian practice to evaluate long-term coastal adaptation options. Climate Risk Management (2017). doi:10.1016/j.crm.2017.06.005
2015 Conference Paper Ramm, T. Accounting for uncertainty in cost benefit analysis: A generalised framework for natural hazard adaptation in the coastal zone. 36th Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium: The art and science of water (Informit, 2015). at <http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=822034922948079;res=IELENG>
24 Oct 2016
Coastal risks arise from a combination of hazards, community exposure and vulnerability. Often deterministic...
Identifying risk thresholds in coastal communities to inform adaptation planning
29 Jun 2017
The impact of changing coastal inundation hazards to people and property becomes increasingly uncertain...
Planning strategic adaptation pathways to manage future coastal flood risk
19 Sep 2018
Future sea level rise will exacerbate coastal flooding globally. Adaptation pathways provide a dynamic plan...