ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on urban settlements in low elevation coastal zones (LECZs) and the risks that climate change poses for their growing populations. 1 In order to help assess these risks, the settlement patterns of populations living in areas that are less than 10 metres above sea level and contiguous to the coast are examined. Urban settlement is central to this analysis since coastal areas tend to be more urban than inland areas, and urbanization can contribute to the movement of populations towards the coast.
