ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF SEA-LEVEL RISE

Sea level rise is one of the potential consequences of human induced g lobal climate change, and coastal zones, together with their inhabitan ts, may be becoming more susceptible and vulnerable to such external s hocks and related damage impacts. Global, regional, and national scale studies have been undertaken in an attempt to assess the future threa t posed by sea level rise. To date none of these studies have fully en compassed the relationship between the physical change impacts and the socioeconomic implications. The authors utilise both a 'GDP-at-risk' and an economic cost-benefit approach, in combination with biophysical analysis, to model the impacts of sea level rise along the East Angli an coastline of eastern England. The economic results indicate that fo r most sea-level-rise predictions the protect strategy is economically justifiable on a region-wide basis. At a more localised scale a combi nation of response options, including 'do nothing and retreat', may be optimal.