| Summary: | This thesis focuses on the planning problems of anticipated
increases in average global seas levels for coastal and island
communities throughout the world. The combination of global
warming repercussions, increasing population growth, and the
evolution of megacities are discussed in the context of sustainable
development in communities affected by rising sea levels. Inherent
in these discussions are the related planning, political, and
economic issues of equity and security of local, national, and
international dimensions. Several country profiles are included
from both the developed and less-developed nations to illustrate
the similarities and differences among in their challenges and
opportunities to deal effectively with global climate change.
It is argued that planners should act as "enablers", and that
planning as a function of society has a specific responsibility to
educate and prepare "the public" for global climate changes and sea
level rise. The role of planning is discussed in the context of
uncertainty in risk assessment, gaps in knowledge, constraints to
planning, decision-making strategies, and coastal zone management
in general. An overview of global, national, and local trends and
preliminary actions taken to date are presented. It is argued that
transitional measures and better decision-making strategies are
required in planning, government policy development, future
research, and education in order that all societies may move, more
equitably, toward creating a sustainable future. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of === Graduate
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