This study was conducted to propose disaster response facility plans for establishing a disaster-safe port in Mokpo against sea level rise and storm surges due to climate change. Climate change is globally increasing sea level rise and extreme weather...
This study was conducted to propose disaster response facility plans for establishing a disaster-safe port in Mokpo against sea level rise and storm surges due to climate change. Climate change is globally increasing sea level rise and extreme weather events, significantly raising disaster risks in coastal areas. According to IPCC assessment reports, sea level rise is accelerating due to human-induced global warming, serving as a major factor increasing flooding risks in coastal regions. This research analyzed IPCC climate change data to understand the risks of sea level rise and storm surges. Analysis of IPCC assessment reports showed that sea level rise is a major factor increasing the risk of flooding in coastal areas, making it appropriate to apply the 50-year frequency (0.25m) and 100-year frequency (0.85m) sea level rise figures from the IPCC 5th Assessment Report as basic criteria for the design of Mokpo's disaster-safe port. Considering the SSP scenario predictions in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report, it was confirmed that more conservative design standards should be considered. Analysis of overseas coastal disaster response facilities demonstrated the importance of customized solutions that match regional characteristics. The Netherlands' Delta Works and Italy's MOSE Project present solutions suitable for each region's geographical and environmental characteristics, taking comprehensive approaches that consider environmental, economic, and social aspects beyond simple physical defense facilities. A review of domestic coastal disaster response facilities showed that the East coast (Samcheok Port) is vulnerable to tsunamis, the South coast (Masan Port) to typhoon-induced storm surges, and the West coast (Gunsan Port) to a combination of tidal range and storm surges. This suggests that Mokpo Port, also located on the West coast, requires a tailored disaster response strategy considering its geographical characteristics. For sea level rise estimation, the RCP 8.5 scenario from the Korea Meteorological Administration was applied, using 25cm sea level rise (2050) for 50-year frequency extreme sea level calculation and 85cm sea level rise (2100) for 100-year frequency. Flooding experiment
results showed high flooding risk for both 50-year and 100-year frequencies, with maximum flooding depths exceeding 3.0m in some areas for the 100-year frequency. This clearly indicates that Mokpo Port is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and extreme weather events, requiring urgent construction of appropriate disaster response facilities. In the storm surge experiments, the virtual scenario typhoon MAEMI (Case 2) produced a storm surge height of 1.51m, equivalent to a
200-year frequency. This suggests the possibility of extreme storm surges if a MAEMI-class typhoon approaches Mokpo Port. Among the four disaster response facility alternatives evaluated, Plan 3 (installation of gates at the northern and southern ends of Gohado) was identified as the most effective solution, reducing storm surge heights by 1.41-1.68m to a maximum level of 0.12m. This option fundamentally prevents storm surges into the inner harbor, prevents secondary flooding, offers good aesthetics, and causes minimal interference with ships during construction. Through this research, a systematic response plan was presented to strengthen Mokpo Port's disaster safety against sea level rise and increasing extreme weather events due to climate change. Plan 3, installing gates at the northern and southern ends of Gohado, was determined to be the most suitable alternative from technical, economic, and environmental perspectives, and will serve as an important reference for establishing disaster response strategies for other coastal ports with similar geographical characteristics. Future research should focus on long-term adaptation strategies considering the uncertainty of climate change, as well as comprehensive disaster management systems including non-structural measures (early warning systems, evacuation plans, etc.) alongside structural measures.