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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Coastal flooding (CF), enhanced by climate change, is one of
the most significant impacts of sea level rise (SLR). Bissau city, home to
~25% of Guinea-Bissau population is already affected by CF due to tides
and storms. It is anticipated that the situation will deteriorate in coming
decades with the expected scenarios of SLR. This article evaluated the
vulnerability to coastal flooding of Bissau, using the single-value model,
which considers two variables: inundation value and a topographic surface.
The inundation value, here referred as total water level (TWL) was
estimated by the sum of three vertical components: astronomical tide (AT),
storm surge (SS) and the SLR estimation for the considered scenario. Thus,
the inundation extension was quantified and mapped using a TWL estimated
for the year 2100, and a high-precision global Digital Elevation Model
(DEM – TanDEM-X) of the Bissau region. The results indicate that the land
potentially to be flooded corresponds to 29.3% of the study area (94.9 km²).
The Southwest zone of Bissau presents greater exposure to flooding, due
to its low altitude. Also, the disorderly anthropogenic occupation of flooded
lands, makes these areas more vulnerable in a climate change scenario.