Project title: GeoPlan: public perception and understanding of coastal geohazards
Researcher: Dr Daniel Tubridy
The aim of the research is to address a deficit in knowledge, policy and action at the interface of geoscience and statutory land use planning regarding the intensifying geohazard of coastal erosion. The objective is to develop and deploy a participatory mechanism for the effective co-design of policy and communication strategies for the coordination of a ‘managed retreat’ for hazardous coastal areas. The project will devise ways to build public ownership of geohazard risks in a manner that facilitates long-term planning. Hence, the project’s central research questions are:
(1) How can collaborative mechanisms for policy co-design and the coproduction of communication strategies be used to enhance knowledge of and commitment to a coordinated managed retreat from hazardous coastal areas?
(2) How can such mechanisms be used to develop context-sensitive yet transferable strategies for the effective design and communication of policy and activities concerning geohazards at the intersection of geoscience and land-use planning in other domains (e.g. fluvial flooding).