Sustainability In Coastal Environments

Coastal Environments are in constant flux, however humans have had a profound and Negative impact on them. Assess that statement

Coastal environments are vulnerable areas that constantly change. Natural physical processes alter this area both over the short and long term. Human activity has a negative and often irreversible impact on the coast, however, local councils are seen attempting to manage their coastal environment.

Coastal environments are in constant flux, due to the environmental process changing the appearance. These environmental changes can go through a process of erosion, weathering and wave energy. Erosion is a process, were the waves smack against a cliff, causing it to hit trapped air and loosen the rocks on the cliff.

There are several activities that prevent or sustain the coastal environment through landcare, dune rehabilitation and groynes. Landcare is one of the factors that keep sustainability in the coastal environment. The local council would place up fines, rules, regulations and signs, indicating what activities that you can conduct. These were put up by the local council, so they could prevent any danger towards the environment. Any illegal activity that happened on the environment, would take several funds and time to reverse back to the original healthy coastal environment or slowly repair a small portion. However, this would be difficult, as the council would struggle to pay for repairments for the coast, so they prevent it from originally happening. Dune rehabilitation is when sand dunes formed by loose sands accumulating from vegetation. The vegetation is used to prevent erosion and wind blowing the sand away. Managing the coastal environment through dune rehabilitation helps cause the wave energy being pulsed away from the dunes because of the slope of the dune pushes the waves back. The sand dunes are mostly used as a seawall but more natural. The wave of the ocean would be absorbed by the vegetation, meaning no waves will pass the sand dunes. This is a good strategy to prevent waves from crossing over the dune, preventing any damage behind the dunes like human construction. Groynes is another human management to prevent the environment to develop a negative impact. Groynes are when sturdy wooden barriers are built in the connection of the ocean and beach. This is to prevent erosion and drifts. Having groynes set up on the coast, you can have beach collect sand from the waves. Groynes are vital for a coastal environment, as this causes the waves from the ocean to flow up the beach, and be diverted by the groynes. The