Oñate, V.; Orejarena-Rondón, A.F., and Restrepo, J.C., 2024. A simple approach to the risk assessment of strategic infrastructure on the Colombian Caribbean coast. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(4), 749–767. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Strategic infrastructure at risk was identified on the Colombian Caribbean coast. The risk approach consisted of an estimation of the main coastal hazards (coastal erosion, mean sea-level rise, and changes in wave energy flux) and the exposure level, as one of the most significant components of vulnerability, through multicriteria analysis and GISs. It identified 88 strategic coastal infrastructures that are at risk, located less than 250 m from the coastline, and belong to the energy, health, education, and transportation sectors. Of these, 34.1% are at a medium-high risk level, and 20.5% are classified as high-risk critical infrastructure. The analysis also revealed that anthropogenic interventions, such as sand mining, poorly designed hard coastal protection structures (groins, seawalls, and breakwaters), or damage to marine ecosystems, might have a relevant weight on the risk degree of critical infrastructure, highlighting the relevance of appropriate coastal protection measures for strategic infrastructure. This simplified approach aimed to contribute to the risk management of such essential elements and guarantee compliance with the predisaster stage of disaster risk management.