Coastal erosion is the
phenomenon that leads to devastation of beaches and nearby areas. It is simply
defined as the wearing away of beaches and dune sediments by wave currents and
strong winds. Waves generated by storms and high speed winds strike the beach
forcefully and tear apart some part of land. This is a global environmental
hazard which is ruining beautiful beaches in some parts of the World.
Scientists also blame rising sea levels as the cause of coastal erosion.
Coastal Erosion
Control:-
There
are three different strategies which can be applied to control coastal erosion.
These are mentioned below:
1. Hard-erosion control:-
Hard –erosion control method ensures
a permanent solution to coastal erosion. This method includes building up of a
Sea Wall. Average span of a sea wall is 50-100 years and it proves to be
effective against damaging tidal currents. Sea wall has to be refurbished and
rebuilt after a major strike which makes it expensive to maintain and build.
Moreover, it can permanently block the public access to the beach.
Natural method to control erosion
is the plantation of vegetation in native land.
2. Soft-erosion control:-
Soft-erosion control provides a
temporary solution to coastal erosion. It consists of beach nourishment and
sandbagging. They do not provide permanent solution to coastal erosion and thus
are meant to slow down the effects of it. Beach nourishment comprises of
filling up the area lost to erosion with sand and rebuilding it. Beach
nourishment is not suitable in areas with frequent occurring of storms. Sand
bagging is the process of building of dunes of raw sand on the beach.
3. Relocation of Native Population:-
In this method, people living in
that area move to a new safer place and surrender the beach to natural effects.
This may include moving yards back from coast or completely retreating from the
coast and finding a new place. Generally, it is the least adopted method but is
more effective in preventing effects of coastal erosion on human population.
Example of Coastal Erosion (Sonmiani, Balochistan):-
Balochistan covers 750 kilometers
of total coastal area of Pakistan starting from Hub to Gawadar Port near
Pak-Iran border. The coastal areas of Miani Hor or Sonmiani are most affected
by coastal erosion. Sonmiani is the fourth deep sea port of Pakistan and is a
small village of nearly 11,000 people who are mostly fishermen. On 16 April,
2017, a high-tide caused eradication of 8 hectare of land. About 200 shops had
been damaged. Fish processing in the area was halted. The reason behind such
massive destruction is that Miani Hor is known to have the fastest current in
Pakistan exceeding 3m/s in some areas. CARD-Pakistan which is local based
Community Organization rushed to the scene and deployed emergency in the area
before concerned authorities had arrived. Below are the Photographs showing the
Coastal Erosion that caused devastation:
(Image credits :CARD-Pakistan)
Sources:
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