Scarborough Beach Climate Change Risk Assessment Project
Overview
The City of Stirling is undertaking a major urban beach design project to upgrade the image and facilities at Scarborough Beach in Perth, Western Australia. The City initiated the Scarborough Environs Area Strategy (SEAS) as a way of planning the future of Scarborough Beach and required a climate change impact assessment as part of their Master Plan review.
The key goal was to assess vulnerability of Scarborough Beach area to climate change and integrate mitigating strategies to address these risks within the Master Plan. This will enable the City to provide a lively and safe environment that withstands the impact of climate change in years to come.
Scaborough Amphitheatre, looking south
Problem
The Scarborough foreshore has undergone significant changes in recent decades. This is due to both man-made development and the impact of natural climate variations. A key challenge is to distinguish the changes made by natural climate variations and those resulting from human actions to determine the relative sensitivity to climate parameters.
In addition future development along the foreshore will be required to withstand the impact of climate change well into the future. For the purposes of this project this requires an understanding of differing climate change scenarios up to the year 2070.
Solution
CZM had recently undertaken a similar project for Cottlesloe foreshore which resulted in development of a range of tools, resources and successful climate change risk assessment strategies. This meant that CZM were uniquely positioned to add value during the process.
CZM undertook six key work phases to meet the Project objectives:
- Project Definition - working closely to establish study zones, scenario timeframes, key elements to measure physical impacts on and categories for risk prioritization.
- Environmental Setting - including establishing meteorology and coastal climate, geology and geomorphology, and the nature of the built environment.
- Projections for Climate Change - custom climate change drivers were specifically adapted from national guidelines to address the specific area. This enabled modelling of variables in mean sea level, wave climate, and secondary, or process, variables such as local sea level and coastal flooding for the next 60 years.
- Physical Impacts of Climate Change - was carried out through Contemporary Coastal Sensitivity Analysis and Geomorphic Modelling of Future Coastal Change.
- Climate Change Risk Assessment - this phase considered effects of climate change on key resources such as the Surf Life Saving Club and Amphitheatre. The assessment focused on the likelihood and consequence of sea level rise, storm surge and wave regimes using three climate change scenarios and time scales of 2030 and 2070.
- Adaptive and Mitigative Measures - this included options for structural intervention relating to key infrastructure elements such as the amphitheatre and surf club along the foreshore.
Benefit
Working closely with key stakeholders, CZM delivered an overall set of recommendations to link into the design process. This included a map showing graphically the range of impacts relative to geomorphology and site layout. A specific summary of recommendations for Scarborough Surf Lifesaving Club, amphitheatre, limestone walls and carparks to minimise impacts is also being undertaken.
The result has been a comprehensive assessment of the vulnerability of Scarborough Beach area to climate change with mitigating strategies to address these risks within the Master Plan. The City of Stirling now has the resources and strategy to achieve a lively and safe environment that withstands the impact of climate change in years to come.
Sunset over Scarborough Beach
For more information about the Scarborough Environ Area Strategy (SEAS) and Urban Design Master Plan, visit the City of Stirling website.
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