7.

4
Managing the coastal
environment
Coastal management involves developing strategies
that are designed to protect and preserve the coastal
environment. Human actions have altered the
operation of the natural coastal processes. Intervention
is often necessary in order to protect property, make
areas safe for boating and restore the environment.
7.16 Fences are a useful management technique used
to ensure adequate access to the beach for people while
COASTAL MANAGEMENT protecting the vegetation that stabilises the sand dunes.
STRATEGIES
• Breakwaters—Constructed at the entrances to rivers,
Management strategies involve careful consideration of
they extend into the ocean in order to stabilise river
the geographical processes that shape and transform the
entrances and provide safe access for boating by
environment. There are a number of coastal management
keeping the river entrance clear of sand build-up.
strategies that have been developed to manage coastal
However, these breakwaters can act to dramatically
environments around Australia. Often a combination
alter patterns of erosion, transportation and deposition
of some or all of the following strategies will be used to
of sand along the coastline.
manage coastal areas.
• Groynes—Constructed along beaches (almost at right
Construction of protective barriers angles to the shore) to catch sand and make beaches
wider. As a management technique they rely on the
and walls sand carried by longshore drift. They protrude into
Using rocks and concrete to create structures which stop the ocean and are designed primarily to slow down
erosion are a frequent management strategy used along the the rate of longshore drift. However, sand tends to
coast. There are three basic types of constructed walls. accumulate on one side only, creating a different beach
• Sea walls—Used to stop erosion of the coastline and from its natural shape. Groynes were traditionally
protect property. Sea walls often replace the foredune, made out of wood or rocks and concrete. Textile
which is an essential part of the beach erosion– bags filled with sand are now being used instead in
accretion cycle and the scenic appeal of the beach may many areas.
be reduced by their construction.
7.18 Operation of groynes. Their construction alters the
7.17 Sea walls, built where sand dunes were once shape of the beach as the sand tends to be built up on the
located often disrupt the natural erosion-accretion side of the groyne that faces the predominant wind and
cycle of the beach. wave direction.

Breakwaters Groynes

ore drift
of longsh
Direction

Wavecrests
160 Geography Focus 2
 • Limiting any new developments that occur in coastal
dune areas. This allows the dunes to play their natural
role as a buffer between the beach and the land and
avoids councils having to develop and build elaborate
sea walls to protect property.
• Constructing fences to control access of pedestrians and
vehicles across sand dune areas. This helps stop erosion
as trampling vegetation removes the protective covering.
• Revegetation to help stabilise the dunes when the
natural vegetation has been removed.

GROUP AND COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT IN COASTAL
7.19 Beach nourishment as a coastal management strategy MANAGEMENT
relies on machinery to move large quantities of sand. The coast is a popular recreational environment that all
Australians enjoy. It is essential that the area be preserved
Beach nourishment for future generations. Coastal management schemes need
to be not only based on a
Beach nourishment involves the movement of sand by
sound understanding of the
machines. Large quantities of sand are moved from a
natural coastal processes
point where it accumulates to a point where it has been
that operate but also ensure
eroded. As a beach management technique it is expensive
access to the coastal areas
and needs to be ongoing. Dredging river mouths along the
for the community. For this
coast is a common source of sand for beach nourishment.
reason it is essential that
coastal management schemes
Coastal dune preservation
have the support of all levels 7.20 One of the groups
Coastal dunes play a vital role in the coastal environment of government as well as involved in coastal
and there are a number of strategies used to manage community groups. management in Australia
these areas.

Activities
Knowledge Description of problem Proposed
1 In your own words describe what coastal management management
involves. solution/s
2 List the coastal management techniques discussed in this Fishermen from a coastal village anchor their
unit. boats in a small river. Recently the river mouth
has been eroded by the ocean and the river
3 Prepare a table of coastal management strategies listing the
entrance is no longer safe for ships to use.
advantages and disadvantages of each:
A tourist development has been built behind
Brief description of Advantages Disadvantages a well-preserved sand dune system. Tourists
management strategy wanting to access the beach are trampling and
destroying fragile dune vegetation.
Developments along the coast have changed
the shape of a safe swimming beach popular
with families. It is often dangerous to swim.
Hotel owners are demanding that the beach be
4 Why do effective coastal management schemes often involve restored to how it was before the developments.
a combination of management techniques in order to protect
Storm waves frequently threaten to destroy
and preserve the coastal area?
property along the foredune of a beach.
Application
5 Outline the most appropriate coastal management strategy Surf
for the following issues along the coastline:

Coastal management 161