Abstract
Coastal flooding is one of the most
significant risks to life and infrastructure both globally and for Europe, with wide-ranging social, economic and environmental impacts. For example, in the United Kingdom alone, it is estimated that GPB 150 billion (EUR 177 billion) of assets and 4 million people are currently at risk from coastal flooding (Environment Agency, 2009). In Europe, long-term
investment in operational flood warning systems has largely ensured that fatalities due to coastal flooding are avoided; however, the damage to infrastructure and clean-up costs are
still significant.
