A general overview on urban adaptation strategies to climate change and sea level rise

The impacts of climate change increase the vulnerability of urban areas who meet a global trend of increasing inhabitants and hosted in 2015 the 53% of the world population (UN-Habitat 2016). It has been estimated that 23% of the world’s population lives both within 100 km distance of the coast and <100 m above sea level, population densities in coastal regions are about three times higher than the global average (Neumann 2015), and a growing population will be exposed to the impacts of sea level rise (Neumann 2015). Adaptation strategies and measures are required in order to face the adverse impacts of climate change in general and those related to sea level rise (SLR). Few frontrunner cities already developed and implement adaptation plans, although a great number of cities are still lacking a systemic approach to face the challenge.