Coastal management
Conflicts of interest
Land uses in coastal areas include tourism, industry, fishing, trade and transport.
Each interest group may have a different view about what should be done to protect and manage coastal areas.
A difference of opinion can cause conflict between interest groups.
Concerns about the coast
Erosion may be threatening beaches or coastal settlements.
People may want to develop tourism in the area or existing tourism could be declining.
There is a danger of flooding if sea levels rise.
There could be a problem with sewage and/or pollution.
Hard engineering
Hard engineering options tend to be expensive, short-term options. They may also have a high impact on the landscape or environment and be unsustainable.
Types
Building a sea wall
Building groynes
Rock armour or boulder barriers
Protects the base of cliffs, land and buildings against erosion. Can prevent coastal flooding in some areas.
Expensive. They can reflect the energy of the waves back to the sea, meaning that the waves remain powerful. Over time the wall may begin to erode. High maintenance.
Prevents the movement of beach material along the coast by longshore drift. Allows the build up of a beach. .
Can be seen as unattractive. Costly to build and maintain.
Absorb the energy of waves. Allows the build up of a beach.
Can be expensive to obtain and transport the boulders.
Soft engineering
Soft engineering options are often less expensive than hard engineering options. They are usually more long-term and sustainable, with less impact on the environment.
Types
Beach nourishment
Managed retreat
The main advantage is that beaches are a natural defence against erosion and coastal flooding. Beaches also attract tourists.
It is a relatively inexpensive option but requires constant maintenance to replace the beach material as it is washed away.
The advantages are that it encourages the development of beaches (a natural defence) and salt marshes (important for the environment) and cost is low.
Managed retreat is a cheap option, but people will need to be compensated for loss of buildings and farmland.
Case study
The Holderness coast is in the north east of England. This is one of the most vulnerable coastlines in the world and it retreats at a rate of one to two metres every year.
Problems
Strong prevailing winds creating longshore drift that moves material south along the coastline
The cliffs which are made of a soft boulder clay, and will therefore erode quickly, especially when saturated.
The village of Mappleton, perched on a cliff top on the Holderness coast, has approximately 50 properties. Due to the erosion of the cliffs, the village is under threat.
Protection steps
A coastal management scheme costing £2 million was introduced involving two types of hard engineering - placing rock armour along the base of the cliff and building two rock groynes.
The rock groynes have stopped beach material being moved south from Mappleton along the coast. However, this has increased erosion south of Mappleton. Benefits in one area might have a negative effect on another.