As new information is received, predictions of sea-level rise resulting from global warming continue to be revised upwards. Measurements indicate that the rise in sea-level is continuing at, or close to, the worst case forecasts (Kellet et al. 2014). Coastal areas are coming under increasing risk of inundation and flooding as storms are predicted to increase in frequency and severity, adding to the risk of inundation due to higher sea levels. Stakeholders, government agencies, developers and land owners require accurate, up to date information to be able to protect coastal areas. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) along with accurate remote sensing technologies such as LiDAR provides the best means for delivering this information. Using these technologies, this paper predicts the risk posed to a large multi-use development in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. This development, Al Hamra Village, is situated on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Al Hamra’s physical relationship to the Gulf is in common with other developments in Ras Al Khaimah in its and for this reason has been used as a pilot project. The resulting GIS model shows that Al Hamra is indeed at risk from predicted flood events. How this information can be used as a planning tool for numerous strategies is discussed in this paper.

This paper presents the hypothesis that in order to create a safer road environment, there needs to be a change in the approach used by police services. A shift in methodology is required that moves away from punishment, such as issuing traffic tickets, and its attendant measures of success, total number of tickets issued or total amount of fines, to a safety-based methodology with its main emphasis on reducing collisions and their severity. This requires understanding the social context of driving and how dangerous driving is defined. This paper moves from these topics to describing deterrence theory which is the common philosophy underlying the criminal justice system today, including how the police handle traffic violations. A different approach is then presented which draws from these methods but changes the focus of police resource deployment. IntroductionEver since the automobile became the dominant mode of transportation, regulations have been in effect to limit speeds, reduce infractions and decrease traffic collisions, and yet collisions are occurring at high rates. The police services continue to rely on the same methods, the only difference being an increase in the technology of surveillance devices. This paper looks at the social context in which traffic collisions occur, the ways that criminal acts are defined, and traces the social theory which underlies the criminal justice system. The paper then draws upon more recent theories of police intervention and incorporates geographic information systems (GIS) in order to determine where these strategies can be used to the greatest effect. This paper not only determines where hazardous locations exist, but also introduces a methodology to determine when hazardous locations manifest themselves. Certain locations are singled out as being the most responsive to *police intervention. This strategy has as its primary aim the creation of a safe environment and the reduction of collisions with an attendant reduction in fatality and injuries. The issuing of traffic tickets is relegated to a secondary consideration. This is considered to be a shift in thinking as the current strategy is based on the issuing of tickets and punishment as its primary consideration with the hope that a safer environment will ensue. This promise does not appear to be fulfilled. Social contextResearchers in the disciplines of engineering, psychology and medicine have performed most of the studies on traffic collisions. These investigations have concentrated on road and vehicle design, cognition, motor skills and interface design, and the effects suffered by the human body during traffic collisions. Much of this research, after review, appears disjointed, with little or no underlying theory. The only common thread is the reliance on empirical, quantitative research (Rothe 1994). Such research does not explore the social context of driving. This can be a fatal flaw in forming policy, education and policing strategies as policy makers should not divorce the act of driving from the society ...

The results appear to support contagion theory as a social mechanism influencing individual drivers' choices of speed. Several alternative explanations are introduced as partial explanations. In light of the traffic accident problem in the United Arab Emirates and recent police programs aimed at reducing this problem, such studies aid in determining the extent of speeding behavior and the effectiveness of recent initiatives.

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