holistic integrated coastal zone management (2B.12)

Question 1

what is ICZM

Answer 1

ICZM= Intergrated Coastal Zone Management
— brings together groups and stakeholders with a range of different interests to share ideas and to establish sustainable levels of economic and social activity, whilst protecting the coastal environment

it is a holistic approach meaning:

• the entire coastal zone is managed, not just the narrow zone where breaking waves cause erosion and flooding. This includes all ecosystems, resources and human activity in the zone.
• it recognises the importance of the coastal zone to people’s livelihoods as, globally, very large numbers of people live and work at the coast - but their activities tend to degrade the coastal environment.
• it recognises that management of the coast must be sustainable, meaning that economic development has to take place to improve the quality of life of people but that this means to be environmentally appropriate at equitable.

it works with sediment cells. for each of the 11 sediment cells in England and Wales, theres a plan called the Shoreline Management Plan

Question 2

Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)

Answer 2

each sediment cell in England and Wales is managed as a whole unit or sub unit

Question 3

the four policies of SMP

Answer 3

1. no active intervention
   - no investment in defending against flooding or erosion, whether or not coastal defences have existed previously
   - the coast is allowed to erode landward and/or flood
2. strategic (managed) realignment
   - allow the coastline to move naturally (in most cases to recede) but managing the process to direct it in certain areas
3. hold the line
   - build of maintain coastal defences so that the position of the shoreline remains the same over time often when coasts are deemed high value due to urban development/ infrastructure
4. advance the line
   - build new coastal defences on the seaward side of the existing coastline
   - usually this involves land reclamation: very rare in UK (eg The Palm, Dubai)

Question 4

deciding on which policy to use

Answer 4

making decisions about which policy to apply to a particular location is complex. It depends upon:

• the economic value of the assets that could be protected (land use and value)
• the technical feasibility of engineering solutions: it may not be possible to ‘hold the line’ for mobile depositional features such as spits, or very unstable cliffs.
• environmental sensitivity: it may be desirable to protect historic sites and areas of unusual diversity
• pressure from communities: vocal local political campaigning to get an area protected
• the social value of communities that have existed for centuries.

Question 5

what is cost benefit analysis

Answer 5

used to help decide if defending a coastline from erosion and/or flooding is economically justifiable (for example see 2B.11 for case study)

Question 6

Holderness coastline (major c/s!!)

Answer 6

mainly consists of soft boulder clay (deposited by glaciers 12, 000 yrs ago)… since Roman times, the coast has retreated by 4km (29 villages lost to the sea), annually 2m are lost a year to the sea

holderness coast in 85km long, only 9.2km are protected by hard engineering structures, the rest of the coastline is unprotected

!!! management failure !!! groynes built at Hornsea starved Mappleton of sediment (by 1990, 4m cliff here were eroded each yr)

Question 7

c/s Easington gas terminal on the holderness coast

Answer 7

hold the line policy through hard engineering strategy of rock revetments (protection and security for gas supply and hundreds of jobs)

why?! CBA… extremely high value land: 40% of daily UK gas use comes from here!!!

Question 8

players involved in policy decision making

Answer 8

national government agencies
local government/ council
businesses/ stakeholders in the economy
environmental stakeholders

Question 9

c/s Spurn Point on the Holderness coast

Answer 9

a site of special scientific interest (SSI) for breeding, migrating and wintering bird populations so is therefore legally PROTECTED

an EIA (environmental impact assessment) took place and concluded that managed realignment is the best sustainable solution

Question 10

c/s Freiston Shore

Answer 10

The Wash… policy of strategic realignment as environment was prioritised!!
flooded farmland originally owned by prison is now owned by RSPB who worked with the Environment Agency to convert 66 hectares of coastal farmland into tidal saltmarsh.

entire area consists of 683 hectares of saltmarsh and mudflats, which form part of the Wash Special Protection Area!!!!

BENEFITS:
- marshes increase the level of flood protection for the surrounding area
- created valuable wildlife habitat… especially water birds eg nesting redshanks
and!
- improved access to this isolated stretch with a car park….
wildlife encouraging a growth in tourism which will benefit economy(bird hides and cycle routes!)

KEY TO NOTE! only possible because of low value land!!

Question 11

c/s Newbiggin by the Sea

Answer 11

town was flooding as a result of subsidence from the historic mining of coal
in the past built straight sea wall but base was being eroded (engineering feasibility)

underwent cost benefit analysis ….. every £1 spent would save £2.60 worth of land! so policy decisions were made accordingly=

offshore breakwaters
recurved sea wall
beach nourishment
capital cost= £ 10 million (£1600 per capita)

brought around a range of benefits… made the beach wider and benefits to town for tourism