Coastal Management Strategies

Coastal management is about deciding how (or whether) to protect the coast from erosion and flooding. This lesson covers the different approaches to coastal management, the engineering techniques used, and the arguments for and against each strategy.

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Why Manage the Coast?

The coast needs management because:

• Coastal erosion threatens homes, businesses, infrastructure (roads, railways), and farmland.
• Coastal flooding can cause damage, disruption, and loss of life.
• Rising sea levels (due to climate change) are increasing the threat to low-lying coastal areas.
• Tourism depends on maintaining attractive beaches and coastal environments.

However, coastal management is expensive, and it is not always economically viable to protect every stretch of coastline. Difficult decisions must be made about where to invest limited resources.

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Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs)

In England and Wales, the coast is managed through Shoreline Management Plans. These divide the coastline into sections and assign each section one of four policies: