With reference to a specific coastal area, examine how their management is often about balancing socio-economic and environmental needs.
Sheringham is a coastal town in North Norfolk with a population of 7,143 residents with West Runton and Weybourne as its’ neighbouring towns. Due to its’ high economic and land value, the management strategy is to hold the line and protect the existing coast from further erosion. Coastal areas are often subject to marine erosion which is the wearing away of the shoreline including the cliff base and beaches by wave action. This is particularly prominent in Sheringham causing the development of several hard engineering structures such as a seawall, rock armour, groynes and cliff drainage implemented by local authorities and organisations such as DEFRA to meet the environmental needs of this coast. The 8.4km of seawall reduces wave energy as it reflects this energy back into the sea. This is particularly helpful at reducing the marine erosion process of hydraulic action at the base of the cliff. Without the seawall, the strong waves would hit the base of the cliff causing air to become compressed and trapped within the rock joints, putting pressure on the rock causing the cliff face to become weak and eventually become undercut, thus forming a wave-cut platform. The rock armour also protects the base of the cliff from marine erosion processes and strengthens the base of the cliff as it reduces the rate of cliff erosion as the swash can flow around the rocks. Large granite and basalt rocks are used as they are strong and resistant to erosion. These rocks are dumped on top of each other leaving gaps between them that allow water through which causes the energy of the waves to disperse and reduce the waves’ erosional power.
Not only do these coastal management schemes meet the immediate environmental needs of Sheringhams’ fragile coastline, but they also help meet the inland environmental needs of this region as the Ringstead Down’s Nature reserve is protected by Sheringham’s sea defences. Ringstead Down’s is one of the largest remaining areas of chalk grassland in the county, and conserves a diverse range of plant and animal species ranging from twenty butterfly species to several nationally declining birds such as the yellowhammer and linnet. This is an important environmental area as wildlife is being protected and biodiversity is being maintained which is an example of how the management scheme in Sheringham is beneficial to other areas which aren’t immediately affected by the coast line.
Although it may seem like Sheringhams’ sea defences are meeting their environmental needs, they are having detrimental effects on other regions within North Norfolk such as Great Yarmouth. Sheringhams’ groynes have helped stop longshore drift moving material along the coast as they trap sediment which builds up the beach, however they have been so affective that the beaches in Great Yarmouth further down the coast are being starved of sediment. This is hindering North Norfolks’ environment as the coastline is being artificially altered which will affect the future marine biodiversity due to habitat changes and loses. Not only is this not meeting the environmental needs of the region, but future socio-economic needs may be compromised as the fishing industry relies on consistent fishing patterns, but with the coastline changing too quickly, marine life might not be able to adjust causing a decline in numbers and pressure put on the fishing industry.
Although some socio-economic needs of Sheringham are also being met, I feel that the management schemes of this area are not diversifying the economy and they are not fully addressing the needs of the residents. Sheringham has a high economic value due to its two main industries: fishing and tourism. Tourism is the largest sector industry in the county, supporting more than 54,000 people and contributing roughly £2.8 billion to the local economy. The coastal management scheme in Sheringham meets these socio-economic needs of the tourism industry by protecting valuable land such as country houses, museums, hotels and areas of historical or cultural significance. However, Sheringham is almost entirely reliant on tourism and the local fishing industry has seen rapid decline since the 20th century. This is dangerous as the tourism is mainly seasonal as it peaks in the spring and summer months when most people visit the beaches. Although lots of jobs are created in these periods, there is a large possibility that workers will be out of jobs in the autumn and winter months causing large unemployment, triggering a downward spiral of economic and therefore social decline.
