Knowra Coastal management Coastal management Coastal management plans and carries out measures to reduce erosion and flood risks while balancing human uses with the conservation of coastal ecosystems.
Seawall : A rigid coastal structure built parallel to the shore to defend inland areas from waves and erosion. Seawalls illustrate hard engineering, which protects fixed assets but can intensify erosion nearby.
Integrated coastal zone management : A coordinated process for managing coastal areas across sectors, jurisdictions, and land-sea boundaries. It provides a framework for aligning coastal protection with development and ecosystem goals.
Hard engineering : The use of built structures to control natural processes or protect people and assets from hazards. It contrasts with approaches that work through habitat restoration or planned adaptation.
Shoreline Management Plan : A UK planning document that sets policies for managing erosion and flooding along defined sections of coast. These plans translate long-term shoreline choices into policies for particular stretches of coast.
Groynes : Structures extending from a shore that interrupt alongshore sediment transport and encourage sand to accumulate. They manage beaches by trapping sediment, while sometimes depriving down-drift shores of it.
Coastal flooding : The inundation of coastal land by seawater, often during storms, high tides, or elevated mean sea levels. Reducing flood exposure is a central objective of many coastal management plans.
Soft engineering : Coastal risk-management measures that work with natural processes rather than relying mainly on rigid structures. Its flexible interventions differ from the fixed barriers used in hard engineering.
Coastal resilience : The capacity of coastal communities and ecosystems to withstand, recover from, and adapt to disturbances and long-term change. Management choices can strengthen or undermine the ability to cope with future hazards.
Beach nourishment : The addition of sand or other sediment to a beach to widen it or restore lost material. It offers a softer, renewable alternative to fixed shoreline defenses.
Coastal erosion : The wearing away and landward movement of a coastline through waves, currents, tides, or other processes. Management measures seek to limit erosion or adapt to its effects.
Show all 21