Coastal management strategies are a key focus in IB Geography, particularly within Option B: Oceans and Coastal Margins. These strategies aim to reduce coastal erosion, manage flooding, and protect people, property, and ecosystems. Because coastlines are dynamic environments, management approaches must balance protection with environmental sustainability.
One major category of coastal management is hard engineering. Hard engineering strategies involve large-scale structures designed to control natural processes. Sea walls are built parallel to the coast to reflect wave energy and protect cliffs and settlements from erosion and flooding. They are highly effective at protecting the area immediately behind them but are expensive to build and maintain. Reflected wave energy can also increase erosion at the base of the wall.
Groynes are structures built at right angles to the coastline to trap sediment moving by longshore drift. By building up beach material, groynes reduce wave energy reaching the shore and help protect cliffs. However, groynes can create sediment shortages further along the coast, increasing erosion elsewhere. In IB Geography, this highlights how protection in one area can create problems in another.
Breakwaters are offshore structures that reduce wave energy before it reaches the coast. By creating calmer waters, they encourage deposition and beach formation. While effective, breakwaters can be visually intrusive and expensive, and they may disrupt marine ecosystems.
Another important approach is soft engineering, which works with natural processes rather than controlling them. Beach nourishment involves adding sand or shingle to beaches to replace material lost through erosion. Wider beaches absorb wave energy, reducing erosion and flood risk. Although more environmentally friendly than hard engineering, beach nourishment is temporary and requires ongoing maintenance.
Managed retreat is a more sustainable long-term strategy. This involves allowing certain low-value or high-risk coastal areas to flood naturally, creating salt marshes or wetlands that act as natural buffers. Managed retreat reduces maintenance costs and enhances biodiversity but may require relocating communities and infrastructure, making it politically challenging.
In IB Geography, planning and policy-based approaches are also important. Coastal zoning restricts development in high-risk areas, reducing future exposure to erosion and flooding. Long-term shoreline management plans help coordinate decisions across entire coastal systems rather than isolated locations.
Effective coastal management increasingly emphasises sustainability. Protecting coastlines must consider environmental impacts, long-term costs, and the needs of future generations. No single strategy is suitable everywhere; successful management depends on local geology, wave energy, land use, and economic priorities.
Overall, coastal management strategies protect coastlines by reducing erosion, managing flood risk, and guiding development. The challenge lies in balancing protection, cost, and environmental sustainability.
RevisionDojo helps IB Geography students evaluate coastal management strategies clearly, supporting balanced analysis and high-quality exam responses.
