The coastal environment is a dynamic system in which natural and human processes combine and interact, modifying geomorphological, physical and biological features, and in which beaches represent the most vulnerable areas. Coastal erosion is caused by many different processes like changes in prevailing wind direction, coastal currents, re-establishment of a new equilibrium profile, sea level rise, sea level fall, exceptional storms, hurricanes/cyclones, and tsunami events. This book discusses the processes, adaptation strategies and environmental impacts of coastal and beach erosion.
More and more of the nation's vast coastlines are being filled with homes and vacation resorts. The result is an increasing number of structures built on erosion-prone shoresâ€"with many of these structures facing collapse or damage. In response to mounting property losses, Congress has given the Federal Emergency Management Agency responsibility for incorporating coastal erosion into its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This book from the National Research Council addresses the immediate question of how to develop an erosion insurance programâ€"as well as the larger issues raised by the continually changing face of our nation's shorelines. Managing Coastal Erosion explores major questions surrounding a national policy on coastal erosion: Should the federal government be in the business of protecting developers and individuals who build in erosion-prone coastal areas? How should such a program be implemented? Can it prompt more responsible management of coastal areas? The volume provides federal policymakers, state floodplain and resource managers, civil engineers, environmental groups, marine specialists, development companies, and researchers with invaluable information about the natural processes of coastal erosion and the effect of human activity on those processes. The book also details the workings of the NFIP, lessons to be learned from numerous state coastal management programs, and much more.
The objective of this book is to focus on the physical processes that cause coastal erosion.Many scientists and engineers have focused their research on the entire range of physical processes from the waves and the currents in the nearshore to the response of the beach, via sand transport, resulting in a changing coastal morphology. Of these many processes, this book focuses only on those which directly relate the generation of coastal erosion. Some chapters deal exclusively with the physical processes, while others provide examples of erosion problems although most of the chapter topics have clear implications for issues of coastal-zone management, these issues are not belaboured as several other books are already available in this area. The objective is to provide state-of-the-art presentation of the science of coastal erosion processes.
Climate change is now creating enhanced risks of coastal erosion through storms and rising sea levels. This text provides a comprehensive review of the entire coastline of Europe, and provides a comparative analysis of the various erosion problems and solutions from across the continent.
Like ocean beaches, sheltered coastal areas experience land loss from erosion and sea level rise. In response, property owners often install hard structures such as bulkheads as a way to prevent further erosion, but these structures cause changes in the coastal environment that alter landscapes, reduce public access and recreational opportunities, diminish natural habitats, and harm species that depend on these habitats for shelter and food. Mitigating Shore Erosion Along Sheltered Coasts recommends coastal planning efforts and permitting policies to encourage landowners to use erosion control alternatives that help retain the natural features of coastal shorelines.
A new ‘Multi-Coloured Manual' This book is a successor to and replacement for the highly respected manual and handbook on the benefits of flood and coastal risk management, produced by the Flood Hazard Research Centre at Middlesex University, UK, with support from Defra and the Environment Agency. It builds upon a previous book known as the "multi-coloured manual" (2005), which itself was a synthesis of the blue (1977), red (1987) and yellow manuals (1992). As such it expands and updates this work, to provide a manual of assessment techniques of flood risk management benefits, indirect benefits, and coastal erosion risk management benefits. It has three key aims. First it provides methods and data which can be used for the practical assessment of schemes and policies. Secondly it describes new research to update the data and improve techniques. Thirdly it explains the limitations and complications of Benefit-Cost Analysis, to guide decision-making on investment in river and coastal risk management schemes.
Greenhouse-induced climate warming increasingly appears to be a reality, and the warming climate will be accompanied by an accelerated sea level rise - as much as 60-100 cm over the next century. What is commonly absent in the discussion of rising sea level, however, is the role played by the subsidence of low-lying coastal areas, which can have a far greater local effect than the eustatic rise of the sea. The combined sea-level rise and land subsidence will almost certainly make the greatest impact on coastal societies in the densely populated regions of southern Asia, but its effects will be felt globally. This volume explores the concepts of sea-level rise and coastal subsidence, both natural and anthropogenically accelerated, in the form of a series of case studies in such diverse locations as Bangkok, Bangladesh, Venice, and the Niger and Mississippi deltas, as well as a discussion of the economic, engineering and policy responses that must be considered if the effects of local sea-level rise are to be mitigated.
The coastal zone is subject to strong pressures from a large number of users. Populations are migrating to it in large numbers. Industry wants to exploit it for its space, water and manpower. Aggregate miners want to exploit mineral resources and health centers are multiplying. It is a favorite area for tourism and recreation worldwide. The zone can boom economically. However, coastlines are progressively receding worldwide, making the zone fragile, vulnerable, and unstable. The book presents methods of coastal protection and beach restoration and offers solutions to the various problems.
"Over 200 billion worth of assets are at risk around British rivers and coasts and those risks are likely to increase over the next 100 years due to changes in climate and in society." Sir David King, Government Chief Scientific Adviser This book presents a comprehensive insight into the flooding system, spanning multiple disciplines across different sectors of the flood and flood management professions. It forecasts the manner in which flooding and coastal erosion risks may increase during the 21st century due to climate change.
