To what extent do you agree that sustainable management of coastal areas is achievable? (20 marks)
Sustainable management is when coastal management is implemented to reduce the threats of erosion now without affecting it for the future generations. The most common shoreline management plans are hold the line, advance to line, do nothing or managed retreat.
One-way sustainable management is achievable is by implementing a hold the line approach. This is when a combination of hard and soft engineering approaches is implemented. This can be evidenced in Holderness close line at the town of Easington. This is because the Easington gas terminal is located there and since this terminal provides 75% of UK gas, defences need to be implemented here. Therefore, a 1.56-kilometre revetment was added here in front of the terminal, which is 20 metres from the Cliff edge. The revetment has been an artificial headland; hence waves are refracted into the revetment. Therefore, this creates a sheltered environment either side of the revetments which is where SSI’s are located. As a result, these areas are protected in a sustainable way.
However, the disadvantages with revetments are that they need regular maintenance which comes at an economic cost for the local governments. In addition, the gas terminal will only maintain the revetments until the gas levels run out in the North Sea, which is expected to be soon. Therefore, this is not a long-term strategy.
Secondly another shoreline management plan which can be implemented is a do-nothing approach. This is where areas where coastal management is not cost effective, so protection is not achievable. This can be evidenced in spurn head, where the local governments have implemented this plan because it has evaluated that the cost of protecting the spirit is more than what the land is worth. The only value that the land currently holds is a simple Coast Guard station which the council is happy to sacrifice.
However, this may change in the long term. This is because there is evidence of a saltmarsh forming in the sheltered area behind the spear. Therefore, by not implementing any defences is unsustainable as the waves and the river flow from the Humber river, will wash the spit away which would destroy the salt marsh. As a result, not sustainable.
Overall, I think that sustainable management of coastal areas are achievable, but whether or not it gets implemented will depend on the results of the cost benefit analysis. At Withernsea, the area has received a do-nothing SMP. Although, it’s possible for the council to implement defences to manage and maintain the coastline, nothing has been done because it costs more than what the caravan sites is worth. Therefore, I agree to some extent that sustainable management of coastal areas can be achievable.