Coastal Management

Question 1

Describe the management strategy of groynes. Is this hard or soft? - Coastal Management

Answer 1

Groynes are timber or rock structures built at angles to the coast in order to trap sediment being moved by longshore drift and maintain the sand on the beach. Hard strategy.

Question 2

Describe the management strategy of sea walls. Is this hard or soft? - Coastal Management

Answer 2

Sea walls are stone or concrete walks with a curved face designed to absorb wave energy at the coast, diverting this back to the sea. Hard strategy.

Question 3

Describe the management strategy of rock armour. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 3

Rock armour is where large rocks are placed at the foot of a cliff, creating a permeable barrier to the sea. This breaks waves but still allows some water to pass through. Hard strategy.

Question 4

Describe the management strategy of revetments. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 4

Revetments are sloping wooden or cook structures placed at the foot of a cliff or top of a beach to break the energy of a wave. Hard strategy.

Question 5

Describe the management strategy of an offshore breakwater. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 5

Offshore breakwaters are partially submerged rock barriers designed to break up waves before they reach the coast. Hard strategy.

Question 6

Describe the management strategy of beach nourishment. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 6

Beach nourishment is the addition of sand or shingle to an existing beach to make it higher and wider and to combat longshore drift. Soft strategy.

Question 7

Describe the management strategy of cliff regrading and drainage. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 7

Cliff regrading reduces the angle of the cliff to help stabilise it, while cliff drainage removes water to stabilise it and prevent landslides/slumping. Soft strategy.

Question 8

Describe the management strategy of dune stabilisation. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 8

Dune stabilisation is whereby marram grass and other plants are used to stabilise dunes, while sections of new dunes can be fenced off to aid their development. Soft strategy.

Question 9

Describe the management strategy of marsh creation. Is this a hard or soft strategy? - Coastal Management

Answer 9

Marsh creation is a type of managed retreat which allows low-lying coastal areas to be flooded by the sea, creating a salt marsh. Soft strategy.

Question 10

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of groynes as a management strategy - Coastal Management

Answer 10

Advantages: groynes work with natural processes to encourage the building up of a beach, increasing tourist potential and protecting land. Not too expensive.
Disadvantages: starve beaches further down the coast of sediment as it interrupts littoral drift, leading to increased erosion elsewhere. Can be unattractive.

Question 11

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of sea walls as a management strategy - Coastal Management

Answer 11

Advantages - effective prevention strategy of erosion, can provide a walking promenade.
Disadvantages - reflect wave energy rather than absorbing it, can be intrusive and unnatural looking, expensive to build and maintain.

Question 12

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of rock armour - Coastal Management

Answer 12

Advantages - rock armour is relatively cheap and easy to construct, can also be used for recreation (fishing, sunbathing, etc)
Disadvantages - can be intrusive, rocks usually not local and therefore don’t fit local geology, can be dangerous for people climbing on them.

Question 13

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of revetments - Coastal Management

Answer 13

Advantages - inexpensive to build, dissipate wave energy

Disadvantages - intrusive and very unnatural looking, can need high levels of maintenance.

Question 14

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of offshore breakwaters - Coastal Management

Answer 14

Advantages - are effective permeable barriers to waves

Disadvantages - visually unappealing, can be a navigation hazard

Question 15

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of beach nourishment - Coastal Management

Answer 15

Advantages - cheap and easy to maintain, looks natural and blends in with existing beaches. Increases tourist potential by creating a bigger beach.
Disadvantages - needs constant maintenance and re-nourishment because of natural processes of erosion and longshore drift.

Question 16

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of cliff regrading and drainage - Coastal Management

Answer 16

Advantages - can be effective in clay or loose rock where other methods will not work, drainage is cost effective.
Disadvantages - regrading effectively causes the cliff to retreat, drained cliffs can dry out and lead to collapse.

Question 17

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of dune stabilisation - Coastal Management

Answer 17

Advantages - maintains a natural coastal environment, providing important wildlife habitats. Cheap and sustainable.
Disadvantages - time consuming to plant marram grass, people may respond negatively to being kept off certain areas of dune.

Question 18

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of marsh creation - Coastal Management

Answer 18

Advantages - relatively cheap as it converts the land to its original state before management, creates a natural buffer to powerful waves, creates wildlife habitat.
Disadvantages - agricultural land is lost, meaning farmers and landowners must be compensated.

Question 19

What are ‘traditional’ approaches to coastal management? - Coastal Management

Answer 19

Traditional approaches to coastal management revolve around the imposition of either hard or soft engineering strategies based around short and isolated stretches of coastline to slow erosion or reduce flooding.

Question 20

What is a cost-benefit analysis? - Coastal Management

Answer 20

A cost-benefit analysis is where the benefits and costs of a management scheme or method are assessed to determine whether the use of a particular scheme will have net costs or net benefits, and whether it is essentially viable.

Question 21

What are the key features of sustainable/integrated approaches to coastal management? - Coastal Management

Answer 21

Sustainable and integrated methods are used to work with natural processes for prolonged periods, focussing on larger stretches of coast rather than merely focussing on isolated sections.

Question 22

What % of large cities are on the coast? What % of the world’s population lives within 60km of a coast? - Coastal Management

Answer 22

75% of large cities are on the coast.

50% of the world’s population lives within 60km of the coast.

Question 23

What is considered by the Environment Agency when deciding on the location of a coastal management strategy? (5) - Coastal Management

Answer 23

The Environment Agency considers the number of houses at risk, the impact on agriculture, the impact on the habitat and environments, the costs involved with management schemes and the threat to local infrastructure and transport.

Question 24

What is the difference between traditional coastal management approaches and sustainable approaches? - Coastal Management

Answer 24

Traditional approaches would focus on small, isolated areas of coastline, using methods to stop or slow erosion. Sustainable approaches focus on a larger section of coast, taking a holistic and long-term view which balances natural processes and human needs.

Question 25

How can holistic management of the coast be a better approach in terms of erosion than traditional approaches? - Coastal Management

Answer 25

Holistic management of the coast recognises that by imposing protections from erosion at one point can exacerbate erosion further along the coast, hence taking into account the coast as a whole in contrast to what traditional coastal management would do.

Question 26

What are the 6 features of sustainable management? - Coastal Management

Answer 26

Management of resources, managing flood/erosion risk, creating alternative livelihoods, adapting to sea level rise, educating communities on how to adapt and monitoring of coastal change.

Question 27

What does SMP stand for? How many exist in the UK? - Coastal Management

Answer 27

SMP stands for Sustainable Management Plan, with 22 existing in the UK with 100 year life-spans.

Question 28

What is a sediment cell? How many are there in England and Wales? - Coastal Management

Answer 28

A sediment cell is an (effectively) closed system where coastal processes occur without impacting areas outside that cell. Largely contained between 2 headlands/bays. 11 IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

Question 29

What do SMPs identify? - Coastal Management

Answer 29

SMPs identify natural processes taking place within a cell, human activities that may be determined by the situation at the coast and appropriate management decisions.

Question 30

What 4 options are considered as part of SMPs? - Coastal Management

Answer 30

Hold the line - maintaining the coast’s current position
Advance the line - extending the coast out to the sea
Managed realignment - allowing the coastline to retreat in a managed and controlled way
No active intervention - allowing coasts to flood low-lying areas without restriction

Question 31

What is an ICZM? What do they aim to achieve? - Coastal Management

Answer 31

An ICZM stand for Integrated Coastal Zone Management. This aims to involve stakeholders at the coast and management schemes to create sustainable socio-economic practices. Oversees whole areas of the coast rather than isolated areas.

Question 32

What are the principles of ICZM(P)? - Coastal Management

Answer 32

Contemplation of natural systems and human activities, long-term perspectives, adaptive and non-intrusive management measures, working with natural processes, respecting ecosystems, including all stakeholders at a coastal system.