Vulnerable coastlines – GCSE Geography WJEC Revision

Understanding Vulnerable Coastlines

Vulnerable coastlines referred to coastal regions that are susceptible to hazards like sea-level rise, coastal erosion, or coastal flooding.
Vulnerability of a coastline depends on its physical features such as coastal topography, soil type, and geological structures.
Human activities like building close to the shore, deforestation, or poor land-use planning can increase vulnerability.

Michael’s Vulnerability Index is a tool used to measure the susceptibility of coastlines to hazards.
It considers natural factors (like wave energy and sea-level rise), ecosystem resilience (health of mangroves, coral reefs or salt marshes), and human factors (population density, build-up area).

Physical impacts: Include processes like coastal erosion and land degradation. Coastal erosion can lead to the shoreline receding, creating a significant loss of land.
Economic impacts: Damage to property and infrastructure can lead to significant economic costs. The potential loss of tourism revenue in regions heavily dependent on beach tourism is another key concern.
Social impacts: Loss of homes and displacement of people due to coastal flooding or erosion can create social problems. These can be direct (loss of life, destruction of property) and indirect (stress, loss of sense of place, social dislocation).

Hard engineering techniques: These involve constructing physical barriers to prevent erosion and flooding. This includes sea walls, groynes, and flood gates.
Soft engineering techniques: These are more eco-friendly solutions that work with the natural environment. This includes beach nourishment, dune regeneration, and creating salt marshes.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM): This is a holistic approach where all stakeholders (local population, scientists, government) are involved. The ICZM approach emphasises balance between socio-economic development and coastal preservation.

The Holderness Coast is one of the most rapidly eroding coastlines in the UK.
Factors making it vulnerable are the soft, easily eroded boulder clay, the direction of prevailing winds and limited human interventions.
Management strategies here have included both hard and soft engineering, though many have proven to be only partially successful, leading to ongoing research and discussions about long-term, sustainable solutions.