Conflict & coastal management (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Geography B): Revision Note

Specification links

The notes on this page cover part of 2.1.3 of the WJEC Eduqas B specification – Why is coastal management often controversial?

• The role of government and local authorities in shaping shoreline management plans (SMPs).

• Conflicting views on coastal management.

• The reasons why stakeholders have different views, values and attitudes and why this may lead to controversy.

Shoreline management plans (SMPs)

• Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) set out an approach to managing a coastline from flooding and erosional risk

• The plans aim to reduce the risk to people, settlements, agricultural land and natural environments (salt marshes, etc.)

• There are four approaches available for coastal management, with differing costs and consequences:

Hold the line

• Long-term approach and the most costly

• Build and maintain coastal defences so the current position of the shoreline remains the same

• Hard engineering is the most dominant method used, with soft engineering used to support

Advance the line

• Build new defences to extend the existing shoreline

• Involves land reclamation

• Hard and soft engineering are used

Managed realignment or retreat

• Some or all coastal defences are removed, allowing the coastline to move naturally

• Over time, the land becomes flooded marshes, effectively protecting the land behind 

• It is the most natural approach to coastal defence, as it doesn't need maintenance and creates new habitats for animals and plants

• However, the land is lost to the sea, which brings conflict, loss of livelihood and saltwater damage to existing ecosystems

• Mostly soft engineering with some hard engineering to support

Do nothing

• The cheapest method, but most controversial of the options

• The coast is allowed to erode and retreat landward

• No investment is made in protecting the coastline or defending against flooding, regardless of any previous intervention

Conflicting views on coastal management

• Careful management of coastal regions is necessary for sustainability

  • There are conflicting views about using a particular type of engineering for coastal defence

• Most coastal managers aim to use a range of methods depending on the value of what is being protected

• This method is known as Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

• ICMZ aims to use a combination of methods to best reflect all stakeholders' needs

Coastal strategies

• Management of coastal regions is performed by identifying coastal cells

• This technique breaks a long coastline into manageable sections and helps identify two related risks:

  • The risk of erosion and land retreat 

  • The risk of flooding

• Identifying risks allows resources to be used efficiently to limit their impacts

• The 'cost-to-benefit' is easier to calculate using coastal cells

How is an approach chosen?

• Deciding on an approach is complex and depends on:

  • Decisions about which approach to apply are complex and depend on:

    • The economic value of the resources that would be protected, e.g., land, homes, etc.

    • Engineering solutions: It might not be possible to 'hold the line' for moving landforms such as spits or unstable cliffs 

    • Cultural and ecological value of land: Historic sites and areas of unusual diversity

    • Community pressure: Local campaigns to protect the region

    • Social value of communities: Long-standing, historic communities

• Different activities and needs bring people and ecosystems together

  • Development such as homes, shops, roads, etc.

  • Nature reserves

  • Industries such as ports, fishing and aquaculture

  • Tourism

  • Agriculture

• This leads to competition for space

• Conflict arises when coastal development is given a higher priority than coastal conservation

Conflict between coastal users

• Coastal users and wildlife are referred to as stakeholders

• Each stakeholder has a different priority or need

  • Wildlife wants an unpolluted, safe and quiet environment

  • Local residents want jobs, clean beaches, affordable housing and schools

  • Tourists want beaches, hotels, B&Bs, entertainment, holiday homes, and marinas

  • Employers want building space, offices, and factories

  • Developers want areas by the sea for tourists—hotels, duplexes, golf courses

  • Fishermen want harbours, unpolluted waters, and ease of access to the sea

  • Farmers want well-drained land, sheltered from prevailing winds

  • The government and councils want to build offshore wind farms and coastal defences

  • Transport companies want good road networks and well-connected ports and terminals

Relationship between stakeholders and coastal zone issues

• The different needs of stakeholders often conflict as they compete for the same resources

Agriculture

• There are several consequences of increased agriculture in coastal areas, including:

  • Fertiliser and pesticide overuse

  • Increased livestock density

  • Water overabstraction

  • Animal waste disposal

  • Land reclamation

• The consequences of this land use are:

  • Species and habitat loss

  • Eutrophication

  • Water pollution

  • Coastal squeeze

Urbanisation and transport

• Increased populations in coastal areas lead to:

  • change of land use (car parks, ports, etc.)

  • waste disposal

  • fuel spillages

  • change of land use

  • water abstraction

  • sewage disposal

• These consequences can lead to:

  • increased flooding

  • congestion

  • pollution

  • loss of habitats

  • increase weeds and invasive species

Tourism and recreation

• Tourism and recreation activities are increasing in coastal areas, which leads to:

  • the building of harbours and marinas

  • waste disposal

  • fuel spillages

  • change of land use

  • water abstraction

  • sewage disposal

• The consequences of this include:

  • congestion

  • pollution (noise, light, visual and smell)

  • loss of habitats

  • loss of species

  • litter

  • fuel spills

Fisheries and aquaculture

• Fisheries and aquaculture lead to:

  • the building of ports and fish processing facilities

  • road networks

  • increased transport

  • fish farm pollution

  • water abstraction

• The consequences of this include:

  • overfishing

  • pollution on beaches

  • habitat damage

  • pollution (water, smell, visual and noise) pollution

  • increased seagull activity

Industry

• The increase in industry in the coastal zone leads to:

  • land-use change

  • change in tidal range

  • power stations (nuclear and gas)

  • natural resource extraction

  • road networks

  • cooling water/abstraction

  • waste pollution (chemical, biological, nuclear, etc.)

• The consequences of this include:

  • thermal pollution

  • habitat destruction, change and loss

  • water eutrophication

  • water pollution

  • visual eyesore

Conflict matrix

• The level of conflict varies depending on who and what the needs are

• This can be shown in a conflict matrix