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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Hard Engineering Coastal Management
Coastal areas are constantly changing due to the relentless action of waves, tides and weather. When these natural processes threaten homes, businesses and infrastructure, we often turn to engineering solutions to protect our coastlines. Hard engineering involves building solid structures to protect the coast and control natural processes.
Key Definitions:
Coastlines are naturally dynamic environments that constantly change. However, human settlements and activities along coastlines mean we often try to prevent or control these changes. Without management, coastal erosion and flooding can lead to:
Hard engineering involves building solid, artificial structures, while soft engineering works with natural processes. Hard engineering is typically:
Engineers have developed various structures to protect coastlines, each with specific purposes and effects on coastal processes.
What they are: Concrete or rock walls built parallel to the coastline.
How they work: They act as a physical barrier between the sea and land, absorbing or reflecting wave energy.
Pros: Provide direct protection to valuable coastal areas.
Cons: Expensive (£2,000-£5,000 per metre), can cause beach lowering in front of the wall and may increase erosion at the ends.
What they are: Wooden, concrete or rock structures built perpendicular to the coastline.
How they work: They trap sediment moved by longshore drift, building up beaches which absorb wave energy.
Pros: Relatively cheap (£5,000-£10,000 each), effective at maintaining beach width.
Cons: Can cause increased erosion downdrift, creating a 'terminal groyne syndrome'.
What they are: Offshore barriers, often made of rock or concrete.
How they work: They reduce wave energy reaching the shore by forcing waves to break offshore.
Pros: Create calm water areas, protect harbours, reduce erosion.
Cons: Expensive, can disrupt natural sediment movement, may affect marine ecosystems.
What they are: Sloping structures on the shoreline made of wood, rock or concrete.
How they work: They absorb wave energy and prevent waves from reaching the cliff base.
Pros: Less expensive than sea walls, more natural appearance with rock revetments.
Cons: Require maintenance, can be undermined by powerful waves.
What they are: Large boulders piled along the coastline.
How they work: They absorb wave energy through the spaces between rocks and provide a physical barrier.
Pros: Relatively cheap, easy to maintain, can look more natural.
Cons: May be less effective in extreme storms, can be dangerous for people to climb on.
What they are: Wire mesh cages filled with rocks.
How they work: They absorb wave energy and protect the base of cliffs.
Pros: Cheap, easy to install, flexible.
Cons: Limited lifespan (15-20 years), wire can rust and break, less effective against powerful waves.
Hard engineering approaches have significant impacts on coastal environments and communities that must be carefully considered.
Hard engineering involves significant financial commitments:
Hard engineering can significantly alter coastal ecosystems:
The Holderness coastline in East Yorkshire is one of Europe's fastest eroding coastlines, retreating at an average rate of 1.5-2.5 metres per year.
The problem: The coastline is made of soft boulder clay which is easily eroded. Villages like Mappleton (population ~50) were at risk.
Hard engineering solution: In 1991, two rock groynes and a rock revetment were built at a cost of £2 million to protect Mappleton and the B1242 coastal road.
Results:
This case study highlights how hard engineering can create winners and losers along a coastline.
Blackpool is a major tourist destination on England's northwest coast that has invested heavily in coastal defences.
The problem: Blackpool's tourism economy (worth over £1.5 billion annually) was threatened by coastal flooding and erosion.
Hard engineering solution: A £100 million sea defence scheme including:
Results:
This case study shows how hard engineering can be designed to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
When studying coastal management for your iGCSE, it's important to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches.
For your iGCSE Geography exam, you'll need to be able to:
Remember to use specific terminology, include costs where possible and always consider both the positive and negative impacts of coastal management strategies.
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