Human activities on coastal management - EdexcelSoft engineering strategies
Hard engineering management involves using artificial structures, whereas soft engineering management is a more sustainable and natural approach to manage coastal erosion.
Soft engineering strategies - advantages and disadvantages
soft engineeringThe use of natural, sustainable solutions to control the coast. does not involve building artificial structures, but takes a more sustainable and natural approach to managing the coast. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages for use.
Beach nourishment
Sand is pumped onto an existing beach to build it up.
Advantages
Blends in with the existing beach.
Larger beaches appeal to tourists.
Disadvantages
Needs to be constantly replaced.
The sand has to be brought in from elsewhere.
Reprofiling
The sediment is redistributed from the lower part of the beach to the upper part of the beach.
Advantages
Cheap and simple.
Reduces the energy of the waves.
Disadvantages
Only works when wave energy is low.
Needs to be repeated continuously.
Dune nourishment
marram grassA long type of grass found growing on coastal sand dunes. planted on sand dunes stabilises the dunes and helps to trap sand to build them up.
Advantages
Relatively cheap.
Maintains a natural-looking coastline.
Disadvantages
Can be damaged by storm waves.
Areas have to be zoned off from the public, which is unpopular.
Offshore reefs
Old tyres and cement can be placed in the intertidal zone, parallel to the coast, to create off-shore reefs. This encourages waves to break offshore. This reduces the energy of the wave which reaches the shoreline and therefore causes less erosion.
Advantages
The natural marine ecosystem is only partly disrupted.
Dunes are allowed to stabilise onshore.
Rocks create a new intertidal habitat for marine wildlife.
Disadvantages
May cause a navigation hazard.
Can create an eyesore at low tide.
Can disrupt the recreational use of the beach, for example the use of jet skis.