Coastal Management?

1. Hard engineering approach (structural approach)

The construction of physical structures to defend against erosive power of waves
2. Soft engineering approach (non-structural approach)
Focuses on planning and management so that both coastal areas and properties
will not be damaged by erosion
Aims at changing individual behavior or attitudes towards coastal protection by
encouraging minimal human interference
Hard engineering Measures
Seawalls
They are built along the coast to absorb the enrgy of waves before they can
cause erosion
They can be made of concrete, rocks, or wood
They are especially effective in protecting cliffs from erosion
Breakwaters
It can be built with one end attached to the coast or away from the coast
They break the force of high energy waves before they reach the shore
When constructed offshore, it can create a zone of calm water behind them and
allow deposition to occur, forming beaches
Groynes
They are built at right angles to the shore to prevent longshore drift
They absorb or reduce the energy of waves and cause materials to be deposited
on the side of the groyne facing the longerhosre drift
However erosion can occur at places not protected by it
Beach nourishment
The constant replenishment of large quantities of sand to the beach system
The beach is extended seawards, which leads to the improvement of beach
quality and storm protection
It is costly to transport large quantities f sand to fill up the beach and sufficient
sand is needed
Sand being eroded and transported away by waves
Relocation

No building of properties are allowed in coastal areas vulnerable to costal erosion

The east coast of England has a green line policy that discourage building
located beyond it
With the danger of increasing sea levels due to global warming relocation is
important to future coastal management
Mangroves
Mangroves with their prop roots help trap sediments and reduce coastal erosion
As mangrove communities grow seawards they extend the coastal land seawards
Stablising dunes
Access points to the beach should be controlled and designated so as not to be
disturbed or human traffic
Shrub and trees can be planted to stabilize them. Roots of trees reach downward
Coral reefs
Artifical reefs can be created by placing enviromentlaly freidnly and long lived
materials like steel or concrete on the sea floor
Once the material is put in place, living organisms start to grow on it
Man made reefs are as productive as natural reefs in encaning fishing
opportunities and serve as undersea baries to reduce impact of wave energy