coastal management strategies

Question 1

what are some economic reasons to protect the coast line?

Answer 1

• loss of tourism
• businesses near the sea are at risk of being lost to the sea or being damaged by seawater
• coastal flooding damages agricultural land, as the water has a high salt content
• property prices near the coast can fall and people are unable to insure their properties

Question 2

what are some social reasons to protect the coast line?

Answer 2

• deaths; coastal flooding has killed many times in the past
• water supplies can be affected by coastal flooding
• loss of homes; people can become homeless
• loss of jobs
• damage to infrastructure

Question 3

what are some economical reasons to protect the coast line?

Answer 3

• ecosystems can be affected

- SSSIs ( Sites of Special Scientific Interest) are threatened by coastal erosion

Question 4

what does the term hard engineering coastal defence mean?

Answer 4

man made structures built to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion

Question 5

what does the term soft engineering coastal defence mean?

Answer 5

schemes set up using the knowledge of the sea to reduce the risks of flooding and erosion

Question 6

what is a sea wall?

Answer 6

a wall made from hard materials such as concrete that reflects waves back to see

Question 7

what are the benefits of a sea wall?

Answer 7

• prevents erosion of the coast

- acts as a barrier to protect against flooding

Question 8

what are the disadvantages of a sea wall?

Answer 8

• very expensive to build and maintain

- creates a strong backwash which erodes under the wall

Question 9

what is rip rap?

Answer 9

boulders that are piled up along the coast

Question 10

what are the benefits of rip rap?

Answer 10

• The boulders absorb energy so reduce the risk of flooding and erosion

Question 11

what are the disadvantages of rip rap?

Answer 11

• boulders can be moved around by strong waves so then need to be replaced

Question 12

what are groynes and how do they work?

Answer 12

groynes are wood or stone fences that are built at right angles to the coast, they trap material being carried by long shore drift

Question 13

what are the benefits of groynes?

Answer 13

groynes create wider beaches that slow the waves, this reduces the risks of flooding and erosion

Question 14

what are the disadvantages of groynes?

Answer 14

they make beaches further down the coast narrower which can lead to greater erosion and flooding at other coastlines