Integration of Geospatial Method and Hydrodynamic Modelling to Study the Impact of Sea Level Rise on the Coastal Area

Abstract

Coastal areas are highly vulnerable and sensitive to various threat; especially erosion and floods that can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of humans, the environment and ecosystems. Coastal areas in Batu Pahat, Johor are particularly vulnerable to flooding due to the phenomenon of tides, and some of these areas have been categorized as critical coastal erosion areas. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of a sea level rise on the coastal community in Batu Pahat. Through the use of ArcGIS and MIKE21 software, the occurrence of floods in community settlements on the coast of Batu Pahat can be identified and predicted as to their future impact. Through this study, it was learned that the coastal areas in Batu Pahat have experienced active erosion, and the total land loss in the area has been 415.7 hectares compared to a sedimentation of only 68.52 hectares. The results of the inundation risk maps for sea levels show that an estimated population of 50 to 1,145 persons out of a total population of 28,420 will experience the impact of the predicted rise in sea levels in 2013, 2020 and 2040. Besides that, out of 33 roads in the study area, only one area will be affected by the sea level rise in 2020 and 2040, respectively. Therefore, the inundation risk map prepared for the Batu Pahat coast is mainly useful for preventing the erosion of the shoreline and for future disaster mitigation.