7.4 Managing the Coastal Environment

1. Coastal Management involves developing strategies that are designed to protect and preserve the coastal environment

2. The coastal management techniques discussed in this unit include:

·         Construction of protective barriers

·         Beach Nourishment

·         Coastal Dune Preservation

3.

Brief description of Management Strategy	Advantages	Disadvantages
Construction of Sea Walls, Breakwaters and Groynes	Sea Walls: Stop erosion of the coastline and protect property. Breakwaters: Stabilise river entrances and provide safe access for boating by keeping the river entrance clear of sand build up. Groynes: Catch sand and make beaches wider.	Sea Walls: Replace the foredune, which is an essential part of the beach erosion-accretion cycle. Breakwaters: Alter patterns of erosion, transportation and deposition of sand along the coastline. Groynes: Catches sand on one side causing beaches to create an un-natural shape.
The movement of sand by machines	Allows large areas of sand and other weathered material to be moved back to eroded areas	Is expensive and needs to be ongoing.
The preservation of Coastal Dune’s	Limiting New Developments: Allows dunes to play their natural role and avoids councils having to develop and build elaborate sea walls to protect property. Constructing Fences: Helps stop erosion as trampling vegetation removes the protective covering Revegetation: Helps stabilise dunes when the natural vegetation has been removed	Limiting New Developments: Less housing facilities and other social faculties. Constructing Fences: Control’s access of pedestrians and vehicles across sand dune areas Revegetation: New species could be introduced and other unwanted vegetation could be spread.

4. Effective coastal management schemes often involve a combination of management techniques in order to protect and preserve the coastal area because they need to get a full picture of what they are changing. In order for coastal management schemes to work, an equal amount of attention and technique needs to be received in all factors of what they are changing to create a balanced coastal environment. If these schemes go too far one way, then it will greatly effect something else within the coastal ecosystem.

5.

Description of Problem	Proposed Management Solution/s
Fishermen from a coastal village anchor their boats in a small river. Recently the river mouth has been eroded by the ocean and the river entrance is no longer safe for ships to be used.	Construction of protective barriers and walls: Breakwaters
A tourist development has been built behind a well-preserved sand dune system. Tourists wanting to access the beach are trampling and destroying fragile dune vegetation.	Coastal Dune Preservation: Limiting New Developments
Developments along the coast have changed the shape of a safe swimming beach popular with families. It is often dangerous to swim. Hotel owners are demanding that the beach be restored to how it was before the developments.	Beach Nourishment Coastal dune Preservation
Storm waves frequently threaten to destroy property along the foredune of a beach.	Construction of protective barriers and walls: Sea Walls