The Development of a Visualization Methodology for Integrated Coastal Management

Abstract

Coastal management information is frequently communicated to stakeholders and the public through complicated management documents and engineering plans. With the recognition that public involvement in coastal decision-making processes should be widened have come calls to develop new techniques to communicate complicated coastal information. Using Virtual Reality Geographical Information Systems and visualization packages, such information may be presented using formats more suitable for public consultation and information dissemination exercises than those currently employed. Using a site on the north Norfolk coast of England, an integrated Geographical Information Systems based methodology is presented that allows the visualization of proposed coastal management interventions. Visualizations have been produced that can be published in traditional paper-based management documents, or electronically. The different visualizations are compared and the technical issues surrounding their use discussed. It is argued that the methodology has clear advantages over traditional communication methods, although further research is necessary to determine how it may be practically employed by coastal managers.

Keywords:

• coastal management
• decision support
• virtual reality
• visualization
• VRGIS

The authors thank the British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Agency and the Ordnance Survey and for providing access to their GIS data, and the Natural Environment Research Council Airborne Remote Sensing Facility for collecting color aerial photography of the study site. The research was initially funded by an Economic and Social Research Council and Natural Environment Research Council Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Studentship, with on-going research funded by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. All Ordnance Survey data is © Crown Copyright Ordnance Survey. An EDINA/JISC supplied service.