Coastal Erosion and Restoration

Introduction

Coastal erosion can be defined as the influence of the sea on the land and must be observed over long enough periods to eliminate the effects of weather, storms and local sediment transport regimes. Coastal erosion occurs when the sea is gaining ground on the earth because of wind, waves and tidal movements in the context of sediment supply. Coastal erosion is a natural process that has always existed and that has shaped the shores of the world throughout history, but it is now clear that the current magnitude is far from natural.

Discussion

Coastal erosion results from a combination of factors both natural and manmade, operating at different scales of time and space. The winds and storms, tidal currents, changes in sea level in the longer term (also including tectonic movements and subsidence phenomena), and landslides are the main "natural" causes of erosion (Prasetya). Coastal structures, draining of coastal basins, dams and irrigation works, dredging, reclamation of coastal land and extraction of gas and water are in turn the main causes of human erosion (Day-Jr.).

Coastal areas are a privileged place for human settlement. This is why the activities and transport infrastructure of people and goods are critical to serve these areas. Experts agree that coastal areas are particularly sensitive to climate change (Prasetya). The global temperature leads to early melting glaciers and thermal expansion of the oceans, contributing to rising sea level. More recent studies indicate that taking into account the melting of continental glaciers, the average rise in sea level would be 80 centimeters by 2100. Rising temperatures also alter the system of waves, winds and tides, the length and thickness of the ice cover (Day-Jr.). In addition, the increase in the number and intensity of storms is apprehended.

Coastal erosion is a natural phenomenon existing since time immemorial. It can be defined by the encroachment of the sea on the land. Normally, it is offset by the contribution of sediment along the coast by rivers and ocean currents (Day-Jr.). For years, the coastline remained fairly stable, but it began to decline over the past twenty years: the dams on rivers, construction on the coast, the removal of sand on beaches: all this contributed to accelerated erosion seriously. Silent at first, this phenomenon has worsened in proportions that in recent years, and the sea began to swallow the coast (Hackney).

It is widely recognized that coastal areas are dynamic in nature. In coastal protection, so the focus should be more flexible strategies or "soft" rather than rely exclusively on the solutions of the past in order to tame the hypothetical nature (Hackney). The best solution would be to ally with it to implement truly effective solutions also beneficial for the economic development, including tourism, the main source of income for the region (Bernhardt, et. al.).

This would essentially prohibit any construction on the coast, and maintain or restore the natural infrastructure protecting the coast, such as mangroves, lagoons, sediment reserves vegetated back beach, etc. (Hackney). The role of seagrass, maintained by ...