Point-by-Point Response
Reviewer Section Comment Response / Action Taken
1 Title revised to include "Sea-Level Rise" to
Add "Climate
emphasize the driving force: “Sea-Level Rise and
Title Change" or "Sea
Spatial Risk Assessment of Coastal Heritage Sites
Level Rise" to title.
in Bangladesh Using AHP.”
The abstract was revised to clarify that the six
Justify 6 parameters
parameters were selected based on climate and
and note no site falls
Abstract geomorphological relevance, and it now explicitly
into “Very Low”
states that no site falls into the "Very Low" risk
category.
category.
Typo: “low low-
Introduction Corrected to “low-lying”.
lying”.
A sentence was added highlighting the novelty in
Lines 70–78:
integrating hydrological factors (SLR, HAND),
Introduction Explicitly state how
spatial statistics, and sensitivity analysis in a
this study fills a gap.
heritage-specific context.
Explain why cultural A paragraph was added discussing heritage-specific
Introduction heritage is sensitivities (e.g., material degradation, exposure,
particularly at risk. locational vulnerability).
Expanded explanation included: salinity was
Vague description of interpolated using Inverse Distance Weighting
Methods 2.3
salinity and HAND. (IDW) from 52 stations, and HAND was derived
from MERIT Hydro DEM.
A paragraph was added describing the expert
Explain AHP weight
Methods 2.4 judgment process, selection criteria, and
assignment.
calculation of the consistency ratio.
1
Reviewer Section Comment Response / Action Taken
Thresholds for Reclassification thresholds were clarified, with
Methods 2.5 elevation unclear; elevation ≥10 m defined as low risk based on
justify classification. relative flood impact zones and historical flooding.
The section was expanded with scenarios, weight
Sensitivity test too
Methods 2.6 adjustments (±10%), a summary of resulting
brief.
reclassifications, and a table of outcomes.
Figure 3 caption
Results Caption revised to describe subfigures for clarity.
should be split.
District-level data
Redundancy removed, and district summary placed
Results repeated; consider
in a table.
consolidating.
The process of overlay analysis and risk class
Clarify composite
Results definition was clarified (based on rank summation
score classification.
and reclassification).
Concrete recommendations added by risk level,
Expand management including site-specific zoning, drainage
Discussion
implications. improvement, vegetation barriers, and relocation
strategies.
Discuss limitations A comprehensive paragraph was added detailing
Discussion of SLR, data, uncertainties in SLR models, limited salinity data,
ground-truthing. and absence of field validation.
Comparative paragraph added with references to
Include comparison
Discussion similar studies in India, Vietnam, and other
with other countries.
countries ([1–8] cited).
Repetition of district District-wise results now summarized in a table to
Discussion
names. avoid redundancy.
2
Reviewer Section Comment Response / Action Taken
A sentence added about integrating socio-economic
Add future research
Conclusion vulnerability and community-based monitoring in
direction.
future studies.
Grammar and Full manuscript was proofread and edited for
Language
repetition issues. grammar, clarity, and consistency in terminology.
2 Add SDG relevance A paragraph was added linking the study to SDG
SDGs
in Introduction. 11.4, 13.1, 13.2, and 17.8.
A new paragraph was added reviewing global and
Review of cultural
regional studies, including citations
Intro heritage and land use
[[Link] and
studies.
[[Link]
Comparative analysis paragraph added, referencing
Add references to
Discussion eight international studies to contextualize the
highlight novelty.
contribution.
A new Conclusion section was added summarizing
Conclusion Conclusion missing.
findings, limitations, and future directions.
Expanded discussion now clearly separates
Clarify limitations
Limitations limitations (data, model assumptions) from
and future work.
proposed future enhancements.
3 A sentence added citing satellite-based global SLR
Add recent SLR data
Introduction (4.5 mm/year) and Bangladesh-specific SLR rate
and case relevance.
(11.6 mm/year).
Relevance of each parameter (SLR, HAND,
Clarify rationale for
Methods Elevation, etc.) explained in context of flood
selected parameters.
exposure and heritage vulnerability.
Improve Full explanation of expert scoring, consistency
AHP transparency of AHP ratio (CR = 0.037), and matrix construction
method. included in Methods.
3
Reviewer Section Comment Response / Action Taken
A paragraph was added in the Results section
Clarify spatial detailing Google Earth Engine app features
Platform
platform functions. (interactive map layers, site-specific attributes,
district filters).
Qualitative statement
Now revised to: “High-risk zones are concentrated
“downstream plains”
Results in southwestern districts such as Satkhira and
needs figure
Jessore (see Figure 4, red areas).”
reference.
A Global Moran’s I test was conducted (I = 0.672,
Add spatial
Validation z = 553.15, p < 0.000001), and results discussed in
statistical validation.
both Methods and Results.
Concrete actions by risk level added: e.g., site-
Add specific action
Recommendations specific zoning, mangrove restoration, climate-
strategies.
resilient upgrades.
All key variables (elevation, HAND, salinity, etc.)
Clarify and define
Terms are now defined upon first mention; terminology
key terms.
standardized throughout.
A paragraph added discussing limitations of AHP
No uncertainty
Uncertainty weight subjectivity and classification thresholds;
analysis.
sensitivity test included.
Address potential for A paragraph added in the Discussion highlighting
Transferability applying the method how the method can be adapted in other coastal,
elsewhere. deltaic, or heritage-rich regions.