Sustainable Risk Assessment and Coastal Vulnerability

Dear Colleagues,

Coastal zones are among the most dynamic and densely populated environments on Earth, yet they are increasingly threatened by sea-level rise, erosion, flooding, slope instability, and growing human pressures. This Special Issue focuses on the assessment of coastal risks through sustainable, integrated, and forward-looking frameworks. It promotes cross-disciplinary approaches combining natural and social sciences to understand how physical coastal processes interact with human systems and to guide sustainable adaptation and land-use planning in a changing climate.

We invite original research, review papers, and applied case studies that address the quantification, modeling, and management of coastal hazards, exposure and social vulnerability, and resilience under current and projected sea-level rise scenarios. Submissions employing geospatial and remote sensing tools, machine learning techniques, or participatory scenario planning to support sustainable coastal risk governance are especially encouraged.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to bring together state-of-the-art methodologies and case studies that enhance our understanding of coastal system dynamics and their implications for sustainable land and resource management. By bridging physical hazard analysis, socio-economic vulnerability, and adaptive management, this Special Issue aims to define new pathways for resilience-oriented and sustainability-driven coastal planning.

While recent literature has advanced hazard mapping and exposure modelling, there remains a fragmentation between hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment, and long-term sustainability planning. Studies in journals such as Ocean & Coastal Management, Natural Hazards, and Geomorphology have examined physical processes and hazard quantification, but few works explicitly integrate multi-hazards, social dimensions, and sustainability frameworks. This Special Issue fills that gap by linking coastal risk assessment directly with sustainability science.

Contributions are expected to focus on the following:

• Integrate physical and socio-economic datasets into unified risk frameworks;
• Operationalize sustainability indicators in coastal risk assessment;
• Translate risk and sustainable land use insights into actionable policy and management tools.

Papers will contribute to defining, measuring, and monitoring coastal sustainability, proposing quantitative indices, resilience metrics, and governance approaches for adaptation. They will explore socio-economic trade-offs, nature-based solutions, and participatory approaches for inclusive and equitable coastal futures.

By connecting geomorphological, ecological, and socio-economic perspectives, this Special Issue advances integrated coastal management that balances hazard mitigation, ecosystem services, and human well-being—fully aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities), 13 (Climate Action), and 14 (Life Below Water).

Topics include the following:

1. Coastal hazard and multi-hazard assessment.
2. Exposure and social vulnerability assessment.
3. Coastal resilience and adaptation under sea-level rise.
4. Sustainable land-use and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM).
5. Geospatial and machine learning approaches for hazard prediction.
6. Participatory scenario planning and stakeholder engagement.
7. Integrated coastal hazard or risk indices as sustainability tools.
8. Nature-based and ecosystem-based solutions for coastal protection.

Dr. Jorge Trindade
Dr. Fatima El Bchari
Dr. José Leandro Barros
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.