Measurement Tools for Determination of Coastal Vulnerability in Malaysia

Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) is a one of the commonly used tools to evaluate the level of exposure or vulnerability in a certain coastal area, as well as the sustainability of the ecosystem diversity. The scoring of the CVI reflects the level of risks that exist in a coastal area. Very often, CVI of a coast serves as a reference or basis to the relevant authorities in decision-making and to promote a holistic approach to coastal management. Originally developed by Gornitz, the CVI considers multiple factors that cause physical vulnerability to a coast. Subsequently CVI is further improvised to address other pertinent factors that are deemed to be significant. In Malaysia, National Coastal Zone Physical Plan adopted a CVI that comprehensively addresses physical, socio-economic, and biodiversity characteristics of a coast, in evaluating the vulnerability of all the coasts in the country. The outcomes of this assessment can be presented in the form of a CVI global map for the ease of interpretation. This chapter outlines the Malaysian’s CVI measurement tools, and the assessment rubrics.