Human experience has shown how great cities, nations, and empires have
either collapsed or retired from their predominant stature when natural
resources are depleted to an extent that exceeds the ability of the
environment to restore or replenish their supply. This book explores the
challenges facing coastal areas during the next few decades and the
difficult decisions needed to prevent a repeat of the past.
Establishing, maintaining or enhancing a sense of environmental security
in different coastal regions and improving the management of critical
infrastructure will require (i) matching human demands with available
environmental resources; (ii) recognition of environmental security
threats and infrastructure vulnerabilities; and, (iii) identification of
the range of available options for preventing and/or minimizing natural
disasters, technological failures, and/or terror actions. This book
emphasizes beliefs that the convergence of seemingly disparate
viewpoints and often uncertain and limited information is possible only
by using one or more available risk assessment methodologies and
decision-making tools such as multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).