Disadvantages Of Coastal Management

Coastal Management

Coastal Management is the understanding of physical/natural processes that impact coastlands (such as erosion, transportation, and deposition), and the application of this knowledge for the sustainable preservation of these coastal zones. It is aimed at protecting our coastline from erosion and preserving the natural ecosystems within and around these coastal zones. The protection/management of coastlands is important because they are naturally flood prone areas which tend to be densely populated and possess economic potential to agriculture, tourism and other industries (“Internet Geography”, n.d).

The erosion of coastlines can also lead to the receding of cliffs and the degradation of beach materials. General objectives

The disadvantages/cons of a hard engineering coastal management approach and their related structures are that they are generally expensive, last a limited amount of time, visually unattractive, unsustainable in some cases and they promote erosion in other areas further down the coast where these structures are noticeably absent. The advantages (pros) however, are that they generally absorb and deflect the impacts of waves very well (highly resistant) which significantly reduces coastland erosion; some are actually cheap and efficient structures for times when a quick fix is necessary to mitigate the impacts of erosion and flooding, and some also promote beach and/or cliff development. (“Internet Geography”,

Relatively long lifespan (“Internet Geography”, n.d).

Cons

1. They are expensive

2. The wall receives direct impact and this weakens the structure over time

3. Waves scour the bases of the wall and they often need maintenance or re-development

4. The availability of adequate drainage behind the wall is necessary

5. Modern recurved walls may promote coastline erosion since they do not hinder longshore drift but act as a mere barrier

(Geography LWC, 2015)

• Rip Raps

Rip raps (also referred to as rock armours or boulder barriers) are large, heavy boulders of rocks strategically placed along coastlines which effectively dissipate wave impacts by absorbing its energy while significantly reducing the effects of erosion and impeding the movement of sediments. They essentially serve the same purpose as seawalls but are composed primarily of permeable structures. Rip raps are generally used in conjunction with other structures to fortify and further protect coastlands and is used mainly in this regard for extra fortification purposes or when finances are low and a quick and efficient structure is required for coastland protection. (FSC, 2015)

Pros

1. They do not suffer from wave scour like seawalls

2. They are cheap and efficient