Sedimentation-enhancing strategies for sustainable deltas: An integrated socio-biophysical framework

Abstract

Coastal river deltas, home to hundreds of millions of people due to their abundant natural resources, face intense internal and external pressure from human activities, which threaten to degrade essential systems vital to delta functioning. A key biophysical challenge for deltas is relative sea level rise, which enhances salinity intrusion, flooding, and land loss. Although sedimentation-enhancing strategies (SESs) that use natural delta processes to encourage land building to counter relative sea level rise are considered a potential solution, a comprehensive understanding of the extent to which SESs can be successfully deployed to enhance resilience is lacking. Here we demonstrate how diverse biophysical and societal conditions impose multidimensional challenges in the implementation of SESs before proposing transdisciplinary solutions that integrate knowledge and expertise across science, government, and local communities to advance effective and participatory opportunities for successful SESs. The insights offered here can transform delta management for long-term sustainability.