Coastal Hazards Research Group
The Coastal Hazards Group specialises in understanding the interaction of extreme seas with the built environment. Our research focuses on the physical processes governing loads, sediment scour, and structural failure modes at coastal infrastructure, providing the evidence base needed to mitigate the impacts of extreme coastal inundation.
We combine large-scale physical experiments with numerical and data-driven modelling to improve prediction of infrastructure vulnerability under climate-driven extremes. Alongside process-based engineering research, the group integrates socio-technical considerations — including risk, governance, and decision-making contexts — to support the translation of engineering evidence into effective, policy-relevant coastal adaptation and resilience strategies.
The Coastal Hazards Group was founded and is led by Dr David McGovern, and is supported by the University Research Centre for Energy, Materials and Environment.
Members
The Coastal Hazards Group brings together academic staff, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD students working on process-based and socio-technical aspects of coastal hazard resilience.
Dr David McGovern (Founder and Group Lead)
Research-led academic specialising in physical modelling of extreme hydrodynamics, sediment scour, and fluid–structure interaction, with a focus on coastal and tsunami hazards.
Professor Rodney Day (Academic Staff)
PVC Research and Enterprise at LSBU, with a long-standing track record in hydraulic engineering and scour.
Mr Carlos Gonzalo (Academic Staff)
Expertise in fluid mechanics and innovation development.
Dr Saham Sherhani (Academic Staff)
Geoscience, fluid dynamics, and multiphase flow,
Dr Sabana Parvin (KTP PDRA)
KTP PDRA on the TSuTwin project, with a PhD in Mathematics and expertise in CFD and numerical modelling.
Niki Soleimani Amiri (PhD researcher Jan 2024–2027). Researching tsunami-induced scour at onshore structures using experimental and numerical methods.
Hasan Limon (PhD Researcher, 2025–2028)
Researching the effects of sea-level rise on sea wall overtopping.
Collaborators:
The group collaborates with a range of national and international academic and industrial partners, including University College London, University of East London, Imperial College London, The Open University, HR Wallingford, and others.
Recent publications from the laboratory
- Experiments on Tsunami-induced scour at circular and rectangular onshore structures - London South Bank University
- Briefing: The Indian Ocean tsunami 20 years on – driving change and changing lives - London South Bank University
- Tsunami boulder transport in coastal environments: insights from physical experiments and dimensional analysis
- Approaches to post-tsunami coastal reconstruction: comparisons across Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan
- Large-Scale Experiments On Tsunami Inundation And Overtopping Forces At Vertical Sea Walls
- Experimental observations of tsunami induced scour at onshore structures
Research Funding and Flagship Projects
Since 2023, the Coastal Hazards Group has secured approximately £400,000 in external and internal research funding to support experimental, numerical, and socio-technical research on coastal hazard resilience and infrastructure adaptation.
Selected Funded Projects
TsuTWin – Tsunami Twin Wave Generation Laboratory
£200,000 | 2024–2026 | Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership
Principal Investigator: Dr David McGovern
Partner: HR Wallingford
TsuTWin is developing the world’s first physical laboratory system capable of generating tsunami wave trains and return flows. These processes are currently not reproducible in laboratory settings, despite return flow being a major driver of tsunami-induced destruction. The project will enable controlled generation of incoming, returning, and repeated tsunami waves, significantly advancing experimental capability for understanding tsunami impacts and improving mitigation strategies for life and property.
PoliSeaWall – Supporting Evidence-Driven Policymaking for Seawalls under Sea-Level Rise
£125,000 (£31,000 to LSBU) | 2025 | British Academy
Principal Investigator: The Open University
Co-Investigator: Dr David McGovern
PoliSeaWall integrates physical engineering evidence with policy and governance analysis to support equitable, evidence-driven decision-making for seawall adaptation under sea-level rise.
Rising Seas and Collapsing Walls – Identifying the Equitable Data Landscape
£20,000 | 2025 | Royal Academy of Engineering
Principal Investigator: Dr David McGovern
This international scoping project examines how sea-level rise and extreme wave climates affect seawall performance across contrasting socio-economic and governance contexts. The work integrates remote sensing, open-source datasets, field surveys, and machine-learning approaches to support development of an open-source global vulnerability assessment framework.
COASTVUL-SLR – Coastal Structure Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise
£9,000 | 2024–2025 | Lloyd’s Register Foundation
Principal Investigator: Dr David McGovern
Co-Investigator: Dr Ravindra Jayaratne (University of East London)
COASTVUL-SLR investigates how projected sea-level rise will alter two key coastal infrastructure damage pathways: (i) development of scour around foundations, and (ii) hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loading on structures.
SRLanCER – Sea-Level Rise on Sri Lankan Coastal Environments: Risk, Vulnerability and Impact
£10,000 | 2024–2025 | LSBU REI
Principal Investigator: Dr David McGovern
Co-Investigator: Dr Ravindra Jayaratne (University of East London)
SRLanCER addresses knowledge gaps in coastal infrastructure vulnerability to climate change and sea-level rise in Sri Lanka, supporting capacity building and the development of future collaborative research pathways.
AKT269 – Tsunami Experimental Study
£36,000 | 2023 | Innovate UK
Principal Investigator: Dr David McGovern
This project supported early-stage experimental development of tsunami generation and wave–structure interaction methods, forming the technical foundation for later large-scale projects within the group.
International Collaboration
The Coastal Hazards Group collaborates with academic and industrial partners including University College London, University of East London, Imperial College London, HR Wallingford, The Open University, University of New South Wales, Delft University of Technology, and Universitas Syiah Kuala.