About

The Coastal Hazard Wheel (CHW) is an open, science-based initiative that supports global coastal resilience by providing a shared reference framework for understanding coastal systems, hazards, and adaptation. It helps policymakers, practitioners, and researchers apply consistent screening-level logic across diverse coastal environments, while recognising the essential role of local expertise and site-specific assessment.

The CHW promotes a systemic approach to coastal management and adaptation by linking coastal classification, inherent multi-hazard profiles, and relevant adaptation and management options within a coherent and transparent framework. This supports integrated thinking and coordination across sectors and scales, from local planning to national, regional, and global policy and assessment contexts.

Core CHW documentation, graphics, and scientific background material are available with open access. The global coastal classification and associated hazard and adaptation logic are made operational through the Coastal Hazard Wheel App and supporting GIS resources, which provide consistent classification, hazard mapping, and basic, relevant adaptation guidance for coastal areas worldwide. Ongoing development will further strengthen these capabilities through the integration of additional datasets and AI-assisted components, enabling more detailed and context-specific guidance over time.

The Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative operates as an open-access partnership involving leading global knowledge institutions and welcomes engagement from national and local stakeholders. For specialised technical support related to the design and implementation of complex adaptation measures, the initiative collaborates with experienced research and engineering partners.