The establishment and alteration of any coastal feature is largely dependent upon complex hydrological and geomorphologic processes. Therefore, understanding hazard factors and threat risk level is crucial for mitigating risk in coastal zones. This study examines coastal vulnerability factors and their influence along the Coastal Andhra Pradesh (CAP) region in India. CAP has been exposed to frequent hydrological and meteorological hazards due to variations in the geographical, geological, and bathymetric characteristics. Despite substantial vulnerabilities, the risk to the coastline of Andhra Pradesh has not been rigorously evaluated. The current research systematically reviews the drivers and effects of hazards and vulnerabilities in CAP. Findings indicate that urban cities have a considerably higher risk of cyclones and floods due to their locations on the Bay of Bengal tectonic plate, the topology of this coastal region, and higher population density. The study revealed that the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) data along CAP is mostly gathered using low-resolution satellite data and/or field observation surveys. The study further revealed that there are very few existing mitigation strategies developed or discussed within the obtained results. However, more accurate data gathering techniques for coastal vulnerability factors are available such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Air-borne and LiDAR sensors, which provide very high resolution data and low-cost accessibility to physically inaccessible places, making them suitable for vulnerability data collection in coastal locations. These findings are useful for stakeholders seeking to reduce or ameliorate the impact of coastal disasters and their impacts on the CAP economy, environment, and population. The study further helps to reduce the existing shortcomings in the assessment techniques used previously.

Coastal hazards, particularly cyclones, floods, erosion and storm surges, are emerging as a cause for major concern in the coastal regions of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Serious coastal disaster events have become more common in recent decades, triggering substantial destruction to the low-lying coastal areas and a high death toll. Further, women living in informal and slum housing along the Vijayawada coastline of Andhra Pradesh (CAP), India, suffer from multiple social, cultural and economic inequalities as well. These conditions accelerate and worsen women’s vulnerability among this coastal population. The existing literature demonstrates these communities’ susceptibility to diverse coastal disasters but fails to offer gender-specific vulnerability in urban informal housing in the Vijayawada area. Accordingly, the current study developed a novel gender-specific Women’s Coastal Vulnerability Index (WCVI) to assess the impact of coastal disasters on women and their preparedness in Vijayawada. Field data was collected from over 300 women through surveys (2) and workshops (2) between November 2018 and June 2019, and Arc-GIS tools were used to generate vulnerability maps. Results show that women are more vulnerable than men, with a higher death rate during coastal disaster strikes. The current study also found that gender-specific traditional wear is one of the main factors for this specific vulnerability in this area. Furthermore, the majority of the women tend to be located at home to care for the elders and children, and this is associated with more fatalities during disaster events. Homes, particularly for the urban poor, are typically very small and located in narrow and restricted sites, which are a barrier for women to escape from unsafe residential areas during disasters. Overall, the research reveals that most of the coastal disaster events had a disproportionately negative impact on women. The results from this present study offer valuable information to aid evidence-based policy- and decision-makers to improve existing or generate innovative policies to save women’s lives and improve their livelihood in coastal areas.

Mumbai, an amalgamation of seven Islands with distinct landforms, is being reclaimed for urban sprawl. It is India's financial capital, with a vast population and a large port for trade, owing to a high demand for working class. As one of the most densely inhabited cities in the world, it faces a significant seasonal water scarcity crisis, resulting in groundwater exploitation for domestic and industrial purposes. The two key consequences are land subsidence and the influence of sea levels on coastal communities. The current study looked at the rate of land subsidence and tried to figure out how groundwater exploitation affected it. The Sentinel-1 SAR imagery was gathered for this purpose, and during the months of October 2014 to May 2019. The findings show that land sinking is irregular and has no consistent pattern. However, the spatial pattern of land subsidence was more closely related to urban area than with other types of terrain. Between 2015 and 2019, the largest yearly subsidence rate observed with the Sentinel data was − 93 mm/yr where the mean is -28.8 mm/yr. Groundwater data from well observations showed a falling tendency over the same time period as well as over a longer time period. In addition, a study is being conducted to better understand sea level rise scenarios and their influence on coastal inundation in low-lying locations. According to the observed sea level scenarios, the upper regional sea level will rise 0.7 m, 0.9 m, and 1.06 m by 2055, 2085, and 2095, respectively. Whereas for RCP recent emission scenarios the highest SLR observed at 1.2 m. Furthermore, with an increase in 1 m SLR, nearly 1700 sq km of low-lying areas, or nearly 38 percent of total land, could be swamped by 2095 during a regular monsoon. Regrettably, if urban infrastructure continues to expand, current conditions will be undermined. Therefore, it is high time to address the land subsidence and its consequences for the solutions.