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What can we do to reduce the risk of coastal erosion?

There are many measures we can take to defend our coastline against erosion.  This is often a combination of various defence structures and natural features.  These measures can reduce the effects of coastal erosion upon communities and the natural environment.

Coastal management methods fall into two main categories:

  • Hard engineering - man-made barriers such as sea walls and groynes, which reduce the impact of waves on the coast.
  • Soft engineering - techniques such as beach recharge and saltmarsh creation which use natural materials, features and processes to absorb wave impact.

Choosing the right solution

We consider a number of factors, including the type of coastline, how it is eroding, and how quickly.  Many successful coastal management methods combine hard and soft techniques.  In each case, we fully explore the effects upon coastal processes and the natural environment are fully explored before we decide how to act.