Theme 4 - Managing coastal hazards

Question 1

Why is coastal managment needed? (5)

Answer 1

.homes and buisnesses need protection
.sea levels are rising increasing risk of coastal flooding
.litter pollution from sewage discharge or accidents such as oil spills need to be cleaned up
.the magnitude and frequency of storms is increasing
.natural habitats and heritage sites need preserving and protecting

Question 2

State 3 hard engineering methods with description.

Answer 2

.sea walls - concrete sea walls reflect the energy of waves and prevent flooding
.groynes - wooden or rock barriers built down a beach to trap sand being trasported by longshore drift
.rip rap - large boulders of hard rock placed along base of a cliff to absorb the energy of the waves

Question 3

What are advantages and disadvantages of sea walls?

Answer 3

adv:
.provide excellent defence where wave energy is high
.have a long life span
dis-adv:
.expensive
.affect access to beach
.recurved sea walls can increase erosion of beach materials

Question 4

What are advantages and disadvantages of groynes?

Answer 4

adv:
.relatively cheap
.retain (continue to have) a wide sandy beach
dis-adv:
.beaches further along the coast are starved of beach material

Question 5

What are advantages and disadvantages of rip raps?

Answer 5

adv:
.relatively cheap
.efficient
dis-adv:
.unattractive
.access to beach becomes difficult
.costs increase when rock is imported

Question 6

Hard engineering?

Answer 6

building an artificial structure to reduce coastal erosion or the risk of coastal flooding. It is ussually expensive, has high impact on the environment and is unsustainable.

Question 7

Soft engineering?

Answer 7

works with nature, using natural systems and processes. It is often less expensive, has low impact on the environment and is more sustainable.

Question 8

State 3 soft engineering methods with description.

Answer 8

.beach nourishment - sand and shingle added to a beach to make it higher and wider
.sand dune stabilisation - planting vegetation or building wooden fences helps sand to build up and the dunes stabilise, which provides a barrier and absorbs wave energy
.managed retreat - allowing the sea to breach existing defences and flood the land behind it

Question 9

What are the advantages and disadvantages of beach norishment?

Answer 9

adv:
.relatively cheap
.retains the natural look of the beach
dis-adv:
.offshore dredging (removing unwanted things) of sand and shingle increases erosion in other areas and affects ecosystems
.beach replenishment is necessary on a regular basis, increasing costs

Question 10

What are the advantages and disadvantages of sand dune stabilisation?

Answer 10

adv:
.dunes are left undisturbed
.boardwalks are constructed so the dunes become more accessible to tourists
dis-adv:
.management is time consuming
.cost is expensive

Question 11

What are the advantages and disadvantages of managed retreat?

Answer 11

adv:
.retains the natural balance of the coastal system
.eroded material encourages the development of beaches and salt marshes
dis-adv:
.cost depends on the amount of compensaton that needs to be paid to landowners and homeowners
.people lose their livelihoods and homes

Question 12

Intertidal zone?

Answer 12

area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide.

Question 13

Simply explain the two contrasting approaches to coastal management.

Answer 13

.hold the line - where existing coastal defences are maintained
.managed retreat - move people out of dangers zones and let nature take control

Question 14

Cost-benefit?

Answer 14

an analytical tool for assessing the pros and cons of a decision.

Question 15

Shoreline management plan (SMP)?

Answer 15

an assessment of the risks associated with coastal processes.

Question 16

When local councils are developing shoreline management plans, what should they consider?

Answer 16

.how many people are threatend by flooding and erosion and how much it would cost to rehouse those people
.how much it would cost to rebuild roads and railway lines if they were washed away
.are there historic or natural features that should be conserved and do these features have any economic value

Question 17

Integrated coastal zone managemnt (ICZM) is a concept which aims to develop sustainable solutions based on what?

Answer 17

.which areas need protecting and which areas are not cost effective to protect
.what type of defence should be used
.what is best for wildlife and the natural environment
.what is the best solution for the people who live at the coastline

Question 18

The capacity of a community to react to and recover from a coastal hazard depends on how prepared that community is for that hazard, this depends on what? (3)

Answer 18

.monitoring - being able to predict extreme weather
.hazard mapping - map highlighting areas that are vulnerable to/affected by a particular hazard
.emergency services - how good the recources and training are to react to a hazard

Question 19

Environment agency?

Answer 19

a non-departmental public body with the responsibility for the protection and enhancement of the environment in England.

Question 20

What are 4 reasons for increased vulnerability of coastal communities in the future?

Answer 20

.there are more than 200 millio people worldwide living along coastlines
.areas could be flooded by rising sea levels
.inhabitants will be forced to manage rising sea levels or retreat and abandon the area alltogether
.goverments cannot defend everything at all costs

Question 21

Small island developing states (SIDs)

Answer 21

low-lying coastal countries that tend to share similar development challenges.

Question 22

Why are some coastlines at greater risk than other? (4)

Answer 22

.some coasts are sinking
.rocks which make the coast may be hard or soft
.coastal storms affect some coastlines more than others
.some coastlines are threatened by tsunami