“I need to see building exposure to sea level rise, now and in the future for different climate change scenarios, so I can better understand the potential risk hotspots.”
1. What is a CoCliCo User Story?
User Stories are ready-made map datasets in the CoCliCo platform. They combine different types of important information to show scenarios for coastal risk resulting from sea-level rise, floods and / or erosion. These layers make complex analyses easier and help users to quickly get a sense of coastal risks.
User research showed that policymakers need clear, actionable data for flood directives, while urban planners want tools to assess local risks, and where infrastructure managers focus on long-term resilience planning. These insights helped shape User Stories to provide accessible, scenario-driven visualizations for diverse decision-making needs. There are six User Stories:
- Sea Level Rise Projections
- Inundation Distribution During a Flood Event
- Building Exposure
- Projections of Exposed People
- Damage Costs of Exposed Infrastructures
- Adaptation Based on Cost-Benefit Analysis
In this e-guideline, we walk you through the Building Exposure User Story.
2. Introduction to the Building Exposure User Story
The Building Exposure User Story in the CoCliCo platform maps the risk of coastal flooding to buildings in low-lying coastal areas under different climate scenarios. As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, understanding which areas are most at risk is crucial for resilience planning and adaptation.
This tool combines building data from OpenStreetMap with advanced flood maps, providing policymakers, urban planners, and coastal managers with detailed insights on flood vulnerability. By highlighting localized risks, it supports evidence-based decision-making for long-term coastal adaptation.
3. Step-by-Step Platform Usage
- Access the CoCliCo Platform:
- On the left-hand menu bar, navigate to the “Exposure & Vulnerability” category, then “Building Exposure” under “User Stories”.
- Select a Scenario:
- Choose a climate scenario (e.g., SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, etc.), the percentile of the probabilistic projection (e.g. 17th, median or 83rd) and time horizon.
- Analyze Visualizations:
- Use interactive tools to zoom into regions and access localized insights.
- Use the “Add to Dashboard” feature to retain charts and graphs for further comparison and analysis
- Toggle on other layers, such as “natural hazards” and “exposure & vulnerability,” for more context on the impacts and risks faced by that area. For simpler comparisons, make sure you add your charts and graphs to your dashboard to compare across time and geographies and observe various layers and user stories of that area.
- Further Analysis:
- Export maps or raw datasets for further analysis in the Workbench or other GIS tools.
- Assess local projections with vertical land motion (VLM) using our coastal hazard assessment.
4. Target Users & Intended Use
Target Users:
- Policymakers implementing national and EU flood directives.
- Urban planners and city authorities in coastal areas.
- Infrastructure managers addressing coastal resilience.
- Researchers and consultants assessing coastal risks.
Intended Use:
The layer provides simplified, robust visualizations for identifying building exposure from sea-level rise. It supports broad-scale assessments, preliminary decision-making, and compliance with policies like the European Flood Directive.
Key Benefits:
- Enables informed risk assessments and adaptation planning at all scales (national to municipal).
- Improves stakeholder engagement with clear, accessible data.
- Aids investment prioritization and strategic land-use decisions.
5. Example of Use
“Using the Building Exposure User Stories, city planners identified their neighbourhoods as having a higher risk of flooding related to sea level rise by 2050 under high-emission scenarios high-emission scenarios compared to other neighbourhoods in the country.“
6. Data, Methods, and Model Overview
Data Sources:
The building exposure is based on the latest building information extracted from OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap provides a consistent data layer across Europe, with standardized information on building type and location.
Methods:
The building footprints extracted from OpenStreetMap are combined with CoCliCo’s state-of-the-art inundation maps.
Model Outputs:
- Visualizations display building exposure at decadal timesteps from 2030 to 2150 for three SSPs scenarios and one high-end scenario.
- Interactive features allow scenario comparisons and data downloads for local and regional decision-making.
Limitations:
While OpenStreetMap provides a consistent coverage across Europe, it does not provide a complete coverage. Across Europe, the average completeness is estimated to be roughly 70%. Some countries have integrated national-scale databases within OpenStreetMap (e.g. The Netherlands, France & Italy) and are therefore almost complete, other countries have very active user communities that aim for a near-complete data (e.g., Germany). However, some countries still experience several gaps (e.g., Ireland and the United Kingdom). Given the potential of missed buildings, we advise local authorities to careful check, and if possible to re-run the analysis with local information before any decisions are made.
7. Further Analysis
The building exposure layer is the starting point for the coastal risk assessment [link here to the Buildings at risk of flood and erosion user story]. Moreover, within the workbench one can extract exposure data for their area of preference, allowing to better understand how sea-level rise will increase future coastal flood risk within any coastal area across Europe.
