A Geospatial approach for assessing the impacts of sea-level rise and flooding on the ! Kenitra coast (Morocco)

Under climate change, sea-level rise and increasing storm surge intensity will increase the likelihood of floods for coastal communities. The topography of the beach, the type of geological material and the level of human intervention will determine the extent of the area to be flooded and the rate at which the shoreline will move inland. The Kenitra coast is socio-economically vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise, due to its low topography and its high ecological and touristic value. Therefore, coastal flood vulnerability assessments are necessary to inform decision making for coastal management, where applicable. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool is commonly employed for these evaluations. In this paper, an inundation analysis, based on GIS tool has identified on 7 landareas and the socio-economic sectors that are most at risk to accelerated sea-level rise at Kenitra coast. The topography is generally lowlying. Results indicate that 20% and 50% of the area will be lost by flooding at minimum and maximum inundation levels, respectively. The most severely impacted sectors are expected to be the coastal defences and the port, the urban area, tourist coastal infrastructures, and the natural ecosystem. Such results may help decision makers during planning to take proper adaptive measures for reducing the Kenitra coast vulnerability, as well as increasing the resilience to potential future floods.