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- Coasts and people: conflict and flooding
Coasts and people: conflict and flooding
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Many groups want to use the coast. Rising seas and storms make managing it even harder.
Conflicts
Tourism: hotels, beaches and marinas.
Industry and ports: jobs and trade, but pollution.
Fishing, housing, farming and conservation all compete for space.
Conservationists want to protect habitats; developers want to build. Managers must balance these views.
Industry and ports: jobs and trade, but pollution.
Fishing, housing, farming and conservation all compete for space.
Conservationists want to protect habitats; developers want to build. Managers must balance these views.
Coastal flooding
Storm surges: low air pressure raises the sea surface, and strong winds push water onto the coast.
Tsunamis: giant waves caused by undersea earthquakes, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004.
Climate change: rising sea levels and stronger storms increase the risk.
Prediction and prevention: storm and tide forecasts, tsunami warning systems, evacuation plans, sea walls and natural barriers such as mangroves.
Tsunamis: giant waves caused by undersea earthquakes, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004.
Climate change: rising sea levels and stronger storms increase the risk.
Prediction and prevention: storm and tide forecasts, tsunami warning systems, evacuation plans, sea walls and natural barriers such as mangroves.
Management strategies
Hard engineering: groynes, revetments (sloping barriers that absorb waves), sea walls, gabions (wire cages of rocks) and rip rap.
Soft engineering: beach replenishment, cliff regrading (lowering the angle to reduce slumping), ecosystem rehabilitation (such as replanting mangroves or dunes) and managed retreat.
Shoreline Management Plans divide the coast into sections and choose one of four options: hold the line, advance the line, managed realignment or no active intervention.
Soft engineering: beach replenishment, cliff regrading (lowering the angle to reduce slumping), ecosystem rehabilitation (such as replanting mangroves or dunes) and managed retreat.
Shoreline Management Plans divide the coast into sections and choose one of four options: hold the line, advance the line, managed realignment or no active intervention.
Explain how a storm surge causes coastal flooding.
- A deep low-pressure system lets the sea surface rise.
- Strong onshore winds push the raised water towards the coast.
- If this happens at high tide, water overtops defences and floods low land.
Answer: Low pressure and strong winds raise and push the sea inland.
Coasts are contested by tourism, industry, fishing, housing and conservation. Coastal floods come from storm surges, tsunamis and rising sea level. Hard engineering: groynes, revetments, sea walls, gabions, rip rap. Soft: replenishment, regrading, rehabilitation, managed retreat. Shoreline Management Plans choose between four options.
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