Land use and coastal defences

• Land use and human populations.
• Coastal development and wetland reclamation.
• Dredging and dumping at sea.
• River runoff and load.
• Groundwater discharge into the coastal waters.
• Seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifer.
• Beaches, swimming, recreational boating.
• Ecotourism.

Land use :- It also destroys the natural beauty of the nature and can also contaminate the soil. Human activities and mountainsides :- It destroys the soil fertility and makes the soil very loose which makes it extreme to erode.

Breakwaters are barriers built offshore to protect part of the shoreline. They act as a barrier to waves, preventing erosion and allowing the beach to grow. The dissipation of wave energy allows material carried by longshore currents to be deposited behind the breakwater. This protects the shore.

Some of the hazards include movement of barrier islands, sea level rise, hurricanes, nor’easters, earthquakes, flooding, erosion, pollution and human development along the coast.

Here are some tips for coping in these difficult times:

1. Talk about it.
2. Spend time with friends and family.
3. Take care of yourself.
4. Limit exposure to images of the disaster.
5. Find time for activities you enjoy.
6. Take one thing at a time.
7. Do something positive.
8. Avoid drugs and excessive drinking.

Ways to Cope With Natural Disasters

1. Seek out and connect with social support.
2. Identify local support groups or available crisis counselors to talk to.
3. Try to establish a schedule.
4. Talk about the effect of the natural disaster.
5. Focus on self-care.
6. Practice healthy coping strategies.

coastal processes driven by winds, waves and currents began to sculpt the edges of the coastline. Eroding cliffs and offshore continental shelf sediment also provide sources of materials for the coast. Other processes which influence the coastal environment include longshore drift, winds and wave erosion.

The coastal environment is a naturally dynamic system. Coastal processes shape the physical environment, providing habitat such as turtle or seabird nesting beaches, reefs, and mangrove forests or seagrass beds.

The coastal zone is not a stable and constant environment, but a dynamic place that can change rapidly in response to natural processes such as seasonal weather patterns. Waves, winds, currents, tides and storms are the major forces on the coast.

The key factors which affect coastlines are:

• The rock type/geology (see map below).
• The fetch of the wave and the strength of the wind.
• The angle of the slope – steep slopes erode more violently and frequently.
• Weather conditions – freezing temperatures and heavy rain increase weathering and the rate of erosion.

Surface cover and runoff. Surface cover is a major factor to control erosion because it reduces the impact of raindrops falling on bare soils and wind removing soil particles. It also reduces the speed of water flowing over the land. Erosion risk is significantly reduced when there is more than 30% soil cover.

Disadvantages. Breakwaters can result in adjacent beach erosion just like the seawall. When sand accumulates in the rock structure, coastal erosion often occurs on the other side of the breakwater. Additionally, breakwaters can be expensive and time consuming to construct.