EQ4: How can coastlines be managed to meet the needs of all players?

Question 1

environmental refugees (Maldives)

Answer 1

• pop of 40,000
• govt looking to buy land in Oz, Sri Lanka and India to relocate pop
• govt wants to move ppl from lowest 200 islands to few higher ones
• no home insurance so ppl’s life savings invested in housing washed away

Question 2

environmental refugees (NZ)

Answer 2

• Pacific Access Category Ballot allows 75 Kiribatis, 75 Tuvalus and 250 Tongolese to gain residency p annum
• 28% of Tuvalu have already moved but eventually whole pop will move from all 8 coral atolls
• Seasonal Workers Program allows farmers n employees in accommodation to use labour from Pacific Islands
• NZ courts have considered applications for permanent residencies on basis of climate change refugee

Question 3

sustainable management (Coastal realignment in Essex)

Answer 3

• EWT purchased estate on Blackwater Estuary n converted 84+ ha of land into salt marsh and grassland
• CB analysis showed that soil quality and land value low so not worth maintaining
• largest coastal realignment project in Europe (£64500)
• sediment trapping could choke oysters and affect farmers
• flooding of some sites could change bird habitats

Question 4

sustainable management (Coastal strategy in Namibia)

Answer 4

• 2013: development policy launched to strengthen governance of country’s 1570km coastline, improve QoL for coastal communities and maintain coastal ecosystems
• normal actions (low cost) incl. preventing future development w/in coastal buffer zone, conserving wetlands
• additional actions (manage risk at moderate cost) incl. beach nourishment at Henties bay, establishing early warning systems
• expensive actions (more effective) incl. sea walls at Wabis bay, relocating communities

Question 5

ICZM UK (Happisburgh)

Answer 5

• failed to qualify for grants for coastal defences so used SE managed retreat (SMP1) so far
• locals have lost homes on Beach rd.
• low house values so ppl cant afford to relocate
• Coastal Concern Action Group raised awareness led to Pathfinder (2009)
• Pathfinder bid granted £3mil from govt
• £1.4mil for purchase and lease back 11 homes on Beach rd
• owners offered half values of homes to relocate
• Beach rd houses demolished and buffer zone between village and cliff established using £0.45mil

Question 6

Holderness Coast hard engineering

Answer 6

• Mappleton: rock groynes cost £2mil protect local area but sediment starvation downstream at Cowden Farm
• Humber Estuary and Spurn head: groynes and rock armour to protect from erosion
• Spurn head @ risk of erosion bc of sediment starvation
• maintaining defences in protected areas more expensive