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Coastal Systems and Landscapes

Soft Engineering and Managed Retreat

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 1

Overview

Recall questions on soft engineering through beach nourishment, dune stabilisation, managed retreat and cliff regrading, its advantages and drawbacks against hard engineering, Shoreline Management Plan policies, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, cost-benefit analysis and conflicting stakeholders.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Explain how beach nourishment protects a coastline.

Key term

What does the 'hold the line' policy mean in a Shoreline Management Plan?

Key term

Define Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Define soft engineering in coastal management.

    Model answer

    Approaches that work with natural processes rather than against them, using techniques that mimic or enhance natural coastal defences.

  2. 2

    Explain how beach nourishment protects a coastline.

    Model answer

    Adding sand or shingle to a beach replaces material lost through erosion, increasing beach width and wave absorption capacity.

  3. 3

    How does dune stabilisation work as a coastal defence?

    Model answer

    Vegetation planting and fencing encourage sand accumulation and strengthen natural dune systems, which act as flood and erosion barriers.

  4. 4

    What is managed retreat (coastal realignment)?

    Model answer

    Allowing the sea to flood low-lying coastal areas by removing or breaching existing defences, creating new intertidal habitats.

  5. 5

    How does cliff regrading reduce the risk of slope failure?

    Model answer

    It reduces the angle of a cliff face, decreasing the likelihood of mass movement.

  6. 6

    State three advantages of soft engineering over hard engineering.

    Model answer

    Generally less expensive, more environmentally sustainable, and creates habitats.

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China and .
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AThe horns have less sand volume, so they move more quickly.
BSand is transported up the gentle windward slope via saltation.
CSand accumulates at the crest.

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Weathering means breakdown of rock in place.
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