coastal landscapes case studies Flashcards
Kiribati -
- low lying land and small islands
- sandy geology
- lots of deforestation
- highest point raised 2m above sea level
-half of all households are already affected - displacement of locals
-farmland Lost
-fresh water contaminated
-migration - loss of culture
netherlands
-affected by rising sea
- low-lying
-northern storms
- 10 mil inhabitants threatened by storm surges
- displacement of communities and businesses
- ‘room for the river scheme’, gives land back to water in order to reduce impact of flooding
china
-low-lying land
-sea levels could rise by 2 m by end of century
-could cause Shanghai to flood
-suffers large oceanic disasters
-worlds largest population living at such a low altitude
-displacement of communities
-farmers to fisherman
-sea wall built
what are the main facts about holderness coast
- erosion is a large problem
- geology -boulder clay structurally weak
-little resistance to erosion - shallow sloping cliffs
- chalk band surrounding created headlands at Flamborough head
- cliffs, arches, and stacks
-erosion varies based on human and physical factors, - exposed to waves from north east with small, fetch of 500 800 km
-destructive waves and low pressure
-boulder clay sediments do not build up
-little sand to stop waves from reaching the cliff face
who are the key players in holderness coast
- central government agencies: environmental agency responsible for coastal management and money is from central government
- local government: joint responsible with env agencies
-stakeholders: tourist industry who want coastal protection, farmers want to protect land, residents to protect houses.
-environment stakeholders- RSPPB want to protect spurn head- bird reserve
what is the management in holderness coast
- sea wall, rock armour and groins at Hornsea
- these interrupt flow of beach material
- Mappleton starved of material
- holiday parks lost over 100 chalets
- no compensation for loss of property
nile delta
-in Africa, north east
-final destination of Mediterranean Sea
-makes up 2% of Egypt, total area, but home to 41% of population 95 million people
-communities under threat of erosion 270 km of coastline at lower elevation
-1 m rise in sea level will cause 20% to go underwater
-more than 8 million people forced to move if rises 2 m
-aswan dam has disrupted normal flooding
-normal flooding with deposit sediment
- global warming increases sealevel more erosion
- over extraction of groundwater causes large areas to subside
Bangladesh
- worlds most desnsely pop country
- 46% of country pop lives less than 10m above sea level
- lies on flood plain of 3 major rivers
- receives snow melt from Himalayas
- prone to tropical cyclones
- monsoon season
- destroyed mangroves/ natural barriers
- 25% of global mangrove loss occurred
- global warming sea level rise and more meltwater
- rapid urbanisation made city 6x more likely to flood
hurricane Katrina
- costliest US disaster
- cost $106bill worth of damage
- 1836 people died
- 28ft storm surge along Mississippi coast
- leves burst, low lying land flooded
- category 5 storm
- winds reached 185mph
- 25 mill us residents live in vulnerable coastal areas
uk flooding
- sandbanks in Dorset of high value but at risk
- 1993- NE suffered heavy rainfall and hotel in scar bough collapsed due to landslide
- inability for many to sell houses close to coast
- increased cost for owners of caravan parks who face cost of relocation
- loss of access as roads and paths to beach lost
asia
- no frameworks for coastal management
- widespread destruction of mangrove forests for fuel wood and shrimp ponds
- rapid coastal development- tourist resorts has lead to construction of defences with no plan
- around 30% of malaisyas coast is eroding
- vietnam erosion of 50m per year
- construction of upstream dams like 3 gorges reduce sediments supply to other parts of coast
chittagong Bangladesh project
- coastal climate resilient infrastructure project
- supported by asian bank
- aims to climate proof area
- improving road connections for farmers
- creating new market areas above 2050 sea level
- training in climate resilience and adaptation
- helping alleviate poverty, generating income opportunities
- reducing disaster risk and environment enhancement
- disturbance of people and natural habitat to create
Maldives
-collection of 26 islands
- male is protected by sea wall
- rising sea levels threaten everyone in country
- 97% of islands experience coastal erosion
- money spent on capital city and to create new islands
- isolated islands are forgotten
- tourism is protected more than traditional income like fishing
- potential conflict on management
- educated on importance of mangroves
- provided small grants to islanders to help them develop sustainable and organic farming as an alternative to threaten reef fish
tuvalu
- highest point 4.5m above seal level
- most of land 1-2m above sea level
- coral reefs act as a natural barrier but due to rising temps, reef risks destruction
-salt water makes farming difficult - economy based on tourism and fishing
- both under threat from climate change
- in future, many will become env refugees
- many will move to New Zealand
Lyme regis
- small coastal town south coast
- lies on western edge of Dorset coast
- forms part of jurassic coast
- popular tourist destination in summer
- faces erosion and town constructed on unstable cliffs
- high energy waves and made from clay vulnerable and limestone resistant
- cliffs are vulnerable to landslides
- houses roads and farmland at risk
- tourists numbers down due to lack of beaches
- plan to manage coastline - Lyme regis env improvement scheme
- consulted diff interests groups
- rock armour, cliffs stabilised by nailing
- improving drainage on cliffs
- 390m recurved sea wall infant of existing defences
- rock armour infant of sea wall to absorb waves
- harbour dredged annually and sand used to replenish beach
- £22 mill spent on improvements
- more attractive, high visitor numbers, benefits for fishing industries
- incr traffic, spoilt natural landscape
