Managed retreat Flashcards
What is managed retreat?
Existing coastal defences are abandoned or removed, allowing the sea to flood inland until it reaches higher land or a new line of defences.
Managed retreat is a strategy used in coastal management to address rising sea levels and erosion.
What is one advantage of managed retreat?
No expensive construction costs.
This makes managed retreat a cost-effective strategy compared to building new defences.
What is another advantage of managed retreat?
Creates new habitats such as salt marshes.
These habitats can enhance biodiversity and provide ecological benefits.
What is a disadvantage of managed retreat?
Disruptive to people where land and homes are lost.
This can lead to social and economic challenges for affected communities.
What is another disadvantage of managed retreat?
Saltwater damages existing ecosystems.
This can have negative impacts on local flora and fauna.
What is a potential financial disadvantage of managed retreat?
Cost of relocation can be expensive.
Communities may face significant costs in moving homes and businesses.
What issue may arise regarding compensation in managed retreat?
Compensation to people and businesses may not be paid.
This can lead to further financial strain on displaced individuals and businesses.
What do Shoreline Management Plans (SMP) aim to manage?
Flooding and erosional risk along coastlines
SMPs focus on reducing risks to people, settlements, agricultural land, and natural environments.
What is one of the primary goals of SMPs?
Reduce the risk to people, settlements, agricultural land, and natural environments
This includes protecting areas such as salt marshes.
What are the four approaches available for coastal management?
- Hold the line
- Advance the line
- Managed realignment or retreat
- Do nothing
Each approach has different costs and consequences.
Describe the ‘Hold the line’ approach.
A long-term approach that builds and maintains coastal defences to keep the shoreline in the same position
It is the most costly option and primarily uses hard engineering.
What does the ‘Advance the line’ approach involve?
Building new defences to extend the existing shoreline and land reclamation
Both hard and soft engineering methods are used.
What happens in the ‘Managed realignment or retreat’ approach?
Some or all coastal defences are removed, allowing the coastline to move naturally
This approach is the most natural and creates new habitats, but land is lost to the sea.
What are some consequences of the ‘Managed realignment or retreat’ approach?
- Land lost to the sea
- Conflict over land loss
- Loss of livelihood
- Saltwater damage to existing ecosystems
It primarily utilizes soft engineering with some hard engineering support.
What does the ‘Do nothing’ approach entail?
Allowing the coast to erode and retreat without any investment in protection
It is the cheapest method but the most controversial.
What factors influence the decision on which coastal management approach to apply?
- Economic value of protected resources
- Engineering solutions feasibility
- Cultural and ecological value of the land
- Community pressure
- Social value of communities
These factors help determine the most suitable management strategy.
True or False: ‘Hold the line’ is the cheapest coastal management approach.
False
‘Hold the line’ is the most costly approach.
Fill in the blank: The ‘Do nothing’ approach is the _______ method of coastal management.
cheapest
