The Coastal Zone Environment
9
THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (Took on all the responsibilities of the
National Rivers Authority NRA on 1st April 1996): They supervise all matters
relating to flood and coastal defence in England and Wales.
INTERNAL DRAINAGE BOARDS (IDBs): There are 235 IDBs in England.
They have powers to carry out measures to alleviate flooding in districts with
special drainage needs other than on main rivers.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES: Can carry out works on water courses other than main
rivers and those in IDB areas to alleviate flooding by rivers or by the sea.
MARITIME DISTRICT COUNCILS (adjoin the sea): Have powers to protect
the land against erosion or encroachment by the sea. (MAFF, 1996)
MAFF aims to reduce the risks to people and the developed and natural
environment from flooding and erosion, their greatest priority being the protection of
human life. Their proposals for succeeding in this include flood warning schemes, flood
and coastal defence measures, and, perhaps most interestingly, discouraging
inappropriate development in areas at risk from flooding and coastal erosion. As Lee
(1993) argues “coastal planning has failed to take account of the dynamic nature of the
coast” (Lee, 1993, p. 172) and, therefore, development has occurred in hazardous areas
necessitating defences which may not otherwise have been needed. Where defences are
seen as necessary, MAFF hopes to promote new and improved defence measures,
including natural defences such as beaches and sand dunes, although the term natural
appears somewhat mis-used if the defences are still instigated by human activity.
Before approval, all defence schemes must meet three criteria:
They must be sound in engineering terms.
They must be environmentally acceptable.
They must be economically worthwhile.
i)
ii)
iii)
All three criteria appear very subjective, yet they allow scope for adjustment to
specific site needs and interests.
It has been seen that in the past, legislation and the lack of knowledge about
coastal processes has allowed unsuitable defences to be built in many areas.
“Nowadays, the idea that coastal processes do not operate conveniently within fixed
administrative boundaries is central to modern shoreline management” (Lee, 1993,
p. 175). MAFF is, therefore, proposing a more strategic approach, so that authorities
involved consider a wide range of possible approaches and the impacts defence
measures may have on neighbouring authorities. They believe in two ways of achieving
this; through voluntary coastal defence groups and shoreline management plans, both of
which are based on the concept of sediment cells.
9
THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (Took on all the responsibilities of the
National Rivers Authority NRA on 1st April 1996): They supervise all matters
relating to flood and coastal defence in England and Wales.
INTERNAL DRAINAGE BOARDS (IDBs): There are 235 IDBs in England.
They have powers to carry out measures to alleviate flooding in districts with
special drainage needs other than on main rivers.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES: Can carry out works on water courses other than main
rivers and those in IDB areas to alleviate flooding by rivers or by the sea.
MARITIME DISTRICT COUNCILS (adjoin the sea): Have powers to protect
the land against erosion or encroachment by the sea. (MAFF, 1996)
MAFF aims to reduce the risks to people and the developed and natural
environment from flooding and erosion, their greatest priority being the protection of
human life. Their proposals for succeeding in this include flood warning schemes, flood
and coastal defence measures, and, perhaps most interestingly, discouraging
inappropriate development in areas at risk from flooding and coastal erosion. As Lee
(1993) argues “coastal planning has failed to take account of the dynamic nature of the
coast” (Lee, 1993, p. 172) and, therefore, development has occurred in hazardous areas
necessitating defences which may not otherwise have been needed. Where defences are
seen as necessary, MAFF hopes to promote new and improved defence measures,
including natural defences such as beaches and sand dunes, although the term natural
appears somewhat mis-used if the defences are still instigated by human activity.
Before approval, all defence schemes must meet three criteria:
They must be sound in engineering terms.
They must be environmentally acceptable.
They must be economically worthwhile.
i)
ii)
iii)
All three criteria appear very subjective, yet they allow scope for adjustment to
specific site needs and interests.
It has been seen that in the past, legislation and the lack of knowledge about
coastal processes has allowed unsuitable defences to be built in many areas.
“Nowadays, the idea that coastal processes do not operate conveniently within fixed
administrative boundaries is central to modern shoreline management” (Lee, 1993,
p. 175). MAFF is, therefore, proposing a more strategic approach, so that authorities
involved consider a wide range of possible approaches and the impacts defence
measures may have on neighbouring authorities. They believe in two ways of achieving
this; through voluntary coastal defence groups and shoreline management plans, both of
which are based on the concept of sediment cells.