The ShoreZone Coastal Vulnerability Indices

The Western Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperative (WALCC) was interested in assessing potential sensitivity of coastlines to climate change. As part of their contribution to funding for the Kotzebue Sound ShoreZone mapping, they requested that some type of sensitivity indices be developed to delineate coasts sensitive to coastal change. Coastal Vulnerability Indices (CVI) were developed to address this concern and these are incorporated into the most recent version of the ShoreZone Coastal Habitat Mapping Protocol (Harper and Morris 2013; Appendix D). While the CVI and associated attributes are included in that appendix, there is no background on rationale used to develop the indices. This short document summarizes the rationale used to develop the indices.