1.1.9 Coastal processes are a vital context for human activity Flashcards
Why do people visit coasts in different parts of the
world?
About 40% of the world’s population live
within a coastal zone (less than 100km from the sea).
In Asian countries over 1.5 billion people live within 100km of the sea.
barcelona - climate , hsitory , culture e.g las ramplas , football
dubai - cliamte, modern , artficial attractions , fastest growing destination
newquay - no climate , night life , culture- surfboaring , saty cation
what are the benefits of living near the coats ?
- tourism , fishing and ports cruise ship - generates money for the local
what happened in the past 200 years of tourisrm ?
Over the past 200 years tourism and recreation have developed into major economic activities along the coast.
By the end of the 19th Century, in most developed countries seaside holidays were part of the annual rhythm of people’s lives, hence the rise of the British seaside resort.
What physical resources are necessary for the
tourism industry?
ATTRACTIVE SCENERY
ECOSYSTEMS e.g. CORALS
SANDY BEACHES
GOOD QUALITY SEAWATER
SUNNY CLIMATES
What human resources are necessary for the
tourism industry?
ATTRACTIONS
HERITAGE SITES
SERVICES
GOOD TRANSPORT LINKS
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
What factors make the ideal location for a tourism resort?
Climate landscape history culture accesibility language wildlife cost activities
What social multiplier effect can tourism have on
Yucatan, Mexico?
jobs
standards of lcing
enoguh family income
for education, school , medical
What economic multiplier effect can tourism have
on Yucatan, Mexico?
formal adv - training workers rights
tax - local council is looked after more
why does the value of the land matter ?
The higher the value of the land and the
density of land development, means the
greater the economic losses associated
with coastal erosion.
What social and economic impact can coastal
processes have on people?
The overall economic and social impacts of
coastal erosion are generally negative:
Danger to life, in particular from sudden landslides
and rock falls from cliffs
Structural damage to buildings and infrastructure
Damage and destruction to lifeline infrastructure
such as water, sewage and gas pipes
Loss of land which may profitably be used for
farming
Loss of vulnerable ecosystems which have high
tourism value
Huge declines in property values, both residential
and holiday amenities
Beach erosion which can result in a lack of beach
therefore having huge knock-on effects on the
profit made from tourism
What is the cost-benefit analysis and what does it
inform us about coastal management?
Cost-benefit analysis is a tool to help
decide whether defending a coastline
from erosion and/or flooding is ‘worth
it’.
It factors in the cost of building the sea defences; the cost of everything if it disappeared; the benefits of protecting the area in terms of capital gain
What are the impacts of erosion on the people of
Holderness?
east of england in yorkshire
swasha align/ longshore drift
long fetch
clay coastline lost 26 villages
what are the economic impact on the people of holdernes ?
£250000 houese were destroyed , on the edge of the clay cliff badly undermined by the sea
charged occupants £3500- now live in a caravan
lost 8 acres to the sea
a bill of £3500 not paid
lost farm worth £250000 and loss of income been huge
holdernes tourist industy - 24 major caravans , there main town
what are the social impact on the people of holdernes ?
live in a wooden hut built at their own expense suing council for compensation
business created conflictscoatal protection should be maintained to avoid loss of roads, farms , hosues or caravan sites
What are the financial, social and political
considerations when thinking about coastal
management?
Contrasting opinions arise – from the concerns
of industry, tourism, and local residents, through to
environmentalists and coastal planners who favour
leaving the coast in as natural state as possible
There are financial considerations. The cost-benefit analysis balances the high overall costs of coastal defences against the benefits of protection.
Under social considerations, surveys have shown that many coastal residents and business owners do not feel safe unless they are protected by obvious sea wall style defences
In political terms there are tensions between national government’s overall budget spending and local government.
For many coastal communities coastal defences is seen as
imperative at all costs,
as ultimately, without coastal defences settlements will be inundated by storm surges or washed away by erosion
What are the 4 coastal management strategies?
‘do nothing’. - The land has no value. It’s not worth doing anything
‘hold the line’. - We do everyhting to stop the erosion taking place at whatever cost
‘retreat the line’. - We let the sea do whatever it wishes but we move everyone out of the area
‘advance the line’. - Build sea defences to make the beaches wider out to sea
Describe the function, advantages and
disadvantages each sea defence type
sea wall - Concrete barrier built at the foot of cliffs or at the top of the beach. Has a curved face to reflect the waves back into the sea. Usually 3-5m high
adv - Very effective at
stopping erosion
and flooding
disadv - Very expensive to
build and look
after
what are groynes ?
Timber or rock structures built out to sea. They trap sediment being moved along by longshore drift and widen the beach
adv - Will widen the beach
so waves diffuse first
before hitting the
coastline
dsiadv - Stops the sand from moving along to other areas further down the coast. Can cause conflict
what are rock armour ?
Piles of large boulders
made of granite
dumped at the foot of a
cliff
adv - Helps stop
undercutting from
occurring
disadv -Can be dangerous
for young children
to play around
what are gabions ?
Metal cages filled with
flint. Piled like steps up
against the foot of the
cliff
adv - The cheapest
option out of the
hard engineering
methods
disadv -Are an eyesore.
Will make the
beach look less
attractive
what are beach nourishment ?
Adding sand or shingle to a beach to make it higher or wider. The sediment is usually from the local area so it blends in well
adv - Blends in with
the existing
beach
dsiadv - Needs to be
done every
year
what are beach stabilisation ?
Using vegetation such as marram grass to stabilise sand dunes. Sand dunes can act as a natural barrier against waves. Fences can be used to keep people off the new sand dunes
adv - Is a very
cheap option
dsiadv - Can be
damaged by
storms
what is a wetland creation ?
This involves allowing low-lying coastal areas to be flooded by the sea to become salt mashes. Salt marshes are effective barriers to the sea
adv - The wetland
ecosystem can
provide a habitat
for many species
disadv - Farmers/landown
ers will need to
be paid for their
lost land
Describe the management strategy being used
along the Holderness coastline and its success
manage retreat - pay compensation but let coastr do whatec=ver
hard sea defence in mappletown dont work in the long run
have to be repaired regularly
more than 10 % of the britush coastline is protected by hard defences
persuade local authorities to take to manage retreat
natural processess are allowed to take their course and people affected pay compensation - be cheaper than the cost of hard enginerring
maange retreat is an example of soft enginerring
