Ecosystem Services versus Flood Risk Adaptation Strategies in Global River Deltas

Abstract

Coastal river deltas provide vital ecosystem services that sustain human life, yet they are increasingly vulnerable to flooding. To address these risks, various flood-risk strategies, including protect-open, protect-closed, advance, accommodate, and retreat, are implemented globally. While both ecosystem services and adaptation strategies have been studied extensively, the relationship between the two remains underexplored. To implement effective and sustainable strategies, it is especially important to understand how these strategies may affect ecosystem services. This thesis aims to address this knowledge gap by comparing ecosystem service values across different adaptation strategies and analysing the potential influences of population and GDP density. The results show that ecosystem service values are significantly higher in deltas with no strategy compared to those with any adaptation strategy. Whether this is cause or consequence of strategy implementation remains unknown, as theories exist for both directions. While population density appears to explain some differences, other factors, such as land use changes or the natural protective capacity of intact ecosystems, likely contribute as well.