Conflicts of interest

There are many different land uses found in coastal areas - for example, tourism, industry, fishing, trade and transport. This means that there are many different groups of people who have an interest in what happens in coastal areas and how they are managed.

Tourist beach in Phuket

Some of the common interest groups involved in coastal management issues are:

• Local residents
• Environmental groups
• Developers
• Local councils
• National governments
• Tourist boards
• National Parks Authorities, such as the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority

Each of these interest groupsinterest groups: an organisation of people who support or oppose a common cause and often lobby the government to try to achieve their cause. Also called pressure groups. may have a different view about what should be done to protect and manage coastal areas. A difference of opinion can cause conflictconflict: disagreements between different interest groups between interest groups.

There are many reasons why groups of people might be concerned about the coast:

• Erosion is threatening beaches or coastal settlements.
• People want to develop tourism in the area - or existing tourism is declining.
• There is a danger of flooding if sea-levels rise.
• There is a problem with sewage and/or pollution.

Management strategies

Physical management of the coast is concerned with natural processes such as erosion and longshore drift. Management techniques fall into two categories: hard engineering and soft engineering.

Hard engineering

Hard engineering options tend to be expensive and short-term options. They may also have a high impact on the landscape or environment and be unsustainable.

Hard engineering solutions

Type of defence	Pros and cons
Building a sea wall Waves in Porthleven during a storm	Advantages Protects the base of cliffs against erosion. Can prevent coastal flooding in some areas. Land and buildings are protected from erosion. Disadvantages A sea wall is expensive to build. Curved sea walls reflect the energy of the waves back to the sea. This means that the waves remain powerful. Over time the wall may begin to erode. The cost of maintenance is high.
Building groynes A wooden barrier built at right angles to the beach Hopton Sea Wall, Norfolk	Advantages Prevents the movement of beach material along the coast through the process of longshore drift. Allows the build up of a beach (a natural defence against erosion and an attraction for tourists). Disadvantages Can be seen as unattractive. Can be costly to build and maintain.
Rock armour or boulder barriers Large boulders are piled up on the beach and used to absorb the energy of waves and encourage the build up of beach material A boulder barrier in Nice, France	Advantages Absorb the energy of waves. Allows the build up of a beach. Disadvantages Can be expensive to obtain and transport the boulders.

Soft engineering options

Soft engineering options are often less expensive than hard engineering options. They are usually also more long-term and sustainable, with less impact on the environment.

There are two main types of soft engineering.

1. Beach management
   • This replaces beach or cliff material that has been removed by erosion or longshore drift.
   • The main advantage is that beaches are a natural defence against erosion and coastal flooding. Beaches also attract tourists.
   • While it can be a relatively inexpensive option it requires constant maintenance to keep replacing the beach material as it is washed away.
2. Managed retreat
   • This is where areas of the coast are allowed to erode and flood naturally. Usually this will be areas considered to be of low value.
   • The advantages are that it encourages the development of beaches (a natural defence) and salt marshes (important for the environment) and cost is low.
   • While this is a cheap option, it will not be free, as people will need to be compensated for loss of buildings and farmland.

Case study: coastal management in Holderness

The Holderness coast is located in the north east of England. This is one of the most vulnerable coastlines in the world, retreating at a rate of one to two metres a year.

There are two causes of the problem.

• Strong prevailing winds create longshore drift that moves material south along the coastline.
• The cliffs are made of soft boulder clay, deposited by glaciers so they will erode quickly, especially when saturated.

The village of Mappleton, perched on the cliff top, has approximately 50 properties. Due to the erosion of the cliffs, the village is under threat.

In 1991, the decision was taken to protect the settlement of Mappleton, along the Holderness coast, south of Hornsea. A coastal management scheme costing £2 million was introduced. This involved two types of hard engineering: placing rock armour along the base of the cliff and building two rock groynes.

• The scheme has protected the settlement of Mappleton and the cliffs are no longer at great risk from erosion.
• The rock groynes have stopped beach material being moved south from Mappleton along the coast. This has increased erosion south of Mappleton.
• This shows that benefits in one area might have a negative effect on another, and demonstrates the need to consider the sustainability of strategies for the future, particularly with the increased threat of sea level rise due to climate change.
• This case study is a good example of how conflict can occur between interest groups.

Case study: tourism in Studland Bay Nature Reserve

Studland Bay is located in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset and is popular with tourists. It can be accessed by ferry from the desirable area of Sandbanks in Poole during the summer, and is only a few minutes drive from the resort of Swanage. Most visitors arrive by car.

The issues

Studland Beach

• The nature reserve is an area of sand dunes, which are dynamic, but often unstable and vulnerable environments.
• Areas such as this are valuable ecologically and are home to rare species of plants and birds.
• The area is attractive to tourists for the dunes and the beach in front; it is a wide sandy beach and can get very crowded in the summer months.
• Visitors need somewhere to park, and also demand other facilities.
• Tourists bring their problems such as litter and fire hazards in the dunes from barbecues and cigarette ends.

How is the area managed?

• Vulnerable areas and those recently planted with marram grass to stabilise the dunes are fenced off to limit access and therefore damage.
• Boardwalks have been laid through the dunes to focus tourists onto specific paths.
• Car parks have been provided and people are not permitted to drive onto the beach.
• Fire beaters are positioned within the dune area in case of a fire.
• A shop, café, toilets and litter bins are provided near the car parks to focus tourists into one area.
• Information boards are present to educate visitors about the nature and value of the environment and how to respect it.

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