Book excerpt: This collection covers essential concepts in the management of coastal disasters, outlining several field surveys of such events that have taken place in the 21st century, including the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, and the storm surges generated by Hurricane Katrina, Cyclone Nargis, and Typhoon Haiyan. Measurements of flood heights, distributions of structural destruction, and the testimonies of residents are reported, with the results being analysed and compared with past events and numerical simulations to clarify and reconstruct the reality of these disasters. The book covers the state-of-the-art understanding of disaster mechanisms and the most advanced tools for the simulation of future events: • Uniquely explains how to use disaster surveys along with simulations to mitigate risk • Combines pure scientific studies with practical research and proposes procedures for effective coastal disaster mitigation Coastal Disaster Surveys and Assessment for Risk Mitigation is ideal for students in the field of disaster risk management, as well as engineers who deal with issues related to tsunamis, storm surges, high wave attack and coastal erosion.