Environmental and resource applications
Prospero Bay illustrates the considerable potential of modelling applications to aid the implementation of complex ICZM strategies. However,
as the Bay is imaginary, it is not in itself of practical value for real-world
decision making. The required logical step is to transfer the principles,
expertise, and knowledge gained from the development of Prospero
Bay to a real-world coastal environment. Researchers in CSERGE are
currently developing a fully GIS based ICZM modelling package to act
as a decision support system for management of the coastline of the East
Anglian Region, England.
The East Anglian Coastal IVlanagement System
With a length of 1 240 km, the East Anglian coastline runs from the
Thames to the Humber estuaries. The coast is one of the most outstanding areas for wildlife and natural features in England. Its range of
geomorphologic features, in particular the sand and shingle formations,
its saltmarshes and associated plant communities, and its breeding
and wintering bird populations are unparalleled and of international
importance (Millar, 1997).
This length of the coast is at particular risk of inundation by the sea;
most of the land is low-lying and is especially vulnerable to storm
surges as water is channelled from the North Sea through the narrow
English Channel. Parts of the east coast are also suffering from serious
erosion, and many sea defences built after significant flooding in 1953
are becoming increasingly exposed. Unsurprisingly, there is a long history
of coastal flooding combated by sea defences dating back through the
Middle Ages to Roman times (MAFF, 1996). Medieval maps show relative distributions of land and water differing significantly from the
present situation, and the coastal lowlands within the study area have
been subjected to a number of major flood incidents resulting in considerable loss of life and property.
The vulnerability of the east coast means that careful management of the
shoreline is particularly important (Brown et al., 1994). At present,
management practices m the United Kingdom (UK) are governed by the
Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) (MAFF, 1998; Diment, 1994). The
smallest spatial unit delineated by each SMP is the management unit
(MU). These are areas of the coast within which relatively homogeneous
sedimentation processes operate, and they form the basic compartments
within which management regimes are operative. The study area contains
approximately 140 units. The maintenance of sea defences within each
unit is central to the SMP. However, improving or maintaining all sea walls
in their current condition is not a viable policy option. Conventional sea
walls are extremely expensive, costing on average more than £1000 per
metre. Their construction or strengthening can also cause damage
elsewhere along the coast by restricting the supply of sediment (Pearce,
1996). Because of these limitations, it is vital that long term planning
efforts and resources for the eastern coastal zone are specifically targeted
at areas that will be most vulnerable to flooding in the future.
203
Prospero Bay illustrates the considerable potential of modelling applications to aid the implementation of complex ICZM strategies. However,
as the Bay is imaginary, it is not in itself of practical value for real-world
decision making. The required logical step is to transfer the principles,
expertise, and knowledge gained from the development of Prospero
Bay to a real-world coastal environment. Researchers in CSERGE are
currently developing a fully GIS based ICZM modelling package to act
as a decision support system for management of the coastline of the East
Anglian Region, England.
The East Anglian Coastal IVlanagement System
With a length of 1 240 km, the East Anglian coastline runs from the
Thames to the Humber estuaries. The coast is one of the most outstanding areas for wildlife and natural features in England. Its range of
geomorphologic features, in particular the sand and shingle formations,
its saltmarshes and associated plant communities, and its breeding
and wintering bird populations are unparalleled and of international
importance (Millar, 1997).
This length of the coast is at particular risk of inundation by the sea;
most of the land is low-lying and is especially vulnerable to storm
surges as water is channelled from the North Sea through the narrow
English Channel. Parts of the east coast are also suffering from serious
erosion, and many sea defences built after significant flooding in 1953
are becoming increasingly exposed. Unsurprisingly, there is a long history
of coastal flooding combated by sea defences dating back through the
Middle Ages to Roman times (MAFF, 1996). Medieval maps show relative distributions of land and water differing significantly from the
present situation, and the coastal lowlands within the study area have
been subjected to a number of major flood incidents resulting in considerable loss of life and property.
The vulnerability of the east coast means that careful management of the
shoreline is particularly important (Brown et al., 1994). At present,
management practices m the United Kingdom (UK) are governed by the
Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) (MAFF, 1998; Diment, 1994). The
smallest spatial unit delineated by each SMP is the management unit
(MU). These are areas of the coast within which relatively homogeneous
sedimentation processes operate, and they form the basic compartments
within which management regimes are operative. The study area contains
approximately 140 units. The maintenance of sea defences within each
unit is central to the SMP. However, improving or maintaining all sea walls
in their current condition is not a viable policy option. Conventional sea
walls are extremely expensive, costing on average more than £1000 per
metre. Their construction or strengthening can also cause damage
elsewhere along the coast by restricting the supply of sediment (Pearce,
1996). Because of these limitations, it is vital that long term planning
efforts and resources for the eastern coastal zone are specifically targeted
at areas that will be most vulnerable to flooding in the future.
203