The Coastal Erosion - Article Example

Coastal Erosion The changes in the shorelines that are induced by the accretion and erosion are natural phenomena (excluding the human activities) that occur over a time scale range. In many cases, they occur as a response to short-term incidents such as normal wave actions, storms, winds and tides or they occur in reaction to long-term incidents such as human activities, orogenic or glaciation cycles and tectonic activities. Coastal erosion plays the major role in affecting changes in the shoreline. Regardless of the cause of coastal erosion, it has great effects human existence. By definition, coastal erosion is the removals of dune sediments or beach and wearing away of the land due to the tidal currents, wave actions and current or drainage (Pranzini and Williams 268). Coastal erosion has affected human movement and living in significant ways in many coastal areas around the world. Some of the effects have affected humanity positively while other has affected negatively on the humanity. Over the years, people have inhabited the coastline. Many commercial activities such as trade, importation, exportation, and hotels business do well at the coast. Coastal erosion has affected business and living in the coast in many areas around the world. Sinking of the houses that are built at the coastal cliffs is one effect of coastal erosion. As the water waves and winds continue to hit the cliffs, they wear it out eventually causing the collapse of the buildings that are built at the top of the cliff (King and Muriel 72). In the year 1997-1998, the houses built at the cliff in the Pacifica California were lost to coastal erosion. Seven houses were knocked down and sunk in the sea while other twelve houses were considered unsafe. According to the United States study on Geological, the erosion of the California coastal cliffs occurred for a period of 50 years (Zhang et al 98). The redistribution of the sediments by tides and waves caused the disappearance of the Dunwich City in England. Many houses in the north-south Wales coast have also started top sink into the sea due to the erosion of the coastal cliff. Coastal erosion has cost much money to the individuals and the governments. The money is spent on trying to reclaim the lands and other places that have been hardly affected by the erosion. Lives have been lost due to the impacts of the cliff erosion. In the year 1998 elnino erosion of the California cliff, a score of people perished as their houses sunk into the sea. Some countries have started coastal region nourishment projects which are very costly to fund. In the United States, for example, the state of Florida spends much money on the beach nourishment projects. The projects are meant to revert the effect of coastal erosion on its highly developed coastal region and are undertaken after every four years (Pranzini and Williams 270). The government of the United States is estimated to spend $700 million annually in addressing the effects of coastal erosion. In the year 1999, the government of the United States spent $10 million in moving the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from the coast of North Carolina in order to save it from sinking into the seawater as a result of coastal erosion that has taken place over a long period (Gillespie and Clague 159). The erosion of the coastal sand and cliffs causes the level of the seawater to rise. This submerges the beaches causing instability in the economic patterns and activities at the coast such as tourist sites. This affects the economy of the affected areas negatively. Beaches act as the areas where people go for recreation and, therefore, sinking of the beaches reduces the area available for recreation. People on holidays and leisure tours prefer to stay at the coast due to its relaxing wind and waters (Zhang et al 108). When the beaches are destroyed, people are forced to find recreation in other places. This affects the economic life of the business people who use the coastline as their economic lifeline. It also affects the economic activities around the coast. On top of submerging the houses, marina docks and beaches, the coastal erosion causes contamination to the drinking water. When the seawater rises above the natural level, it mixes with the fresh water such as the rivers and artificial coastal dams. This contaminates the water making it unfit for human consumption. Water contamination is also caused by damages to wastewater and drainage systems (Gillespie and Clague 160). Coastal erosion endangers the human life and ecosystem balance. The rising of the seawater because of erosion interferes with power supplies system. This devastates the living standards and quality of life at the coastline. High waters affect other social amenities such as communication lines and roads. It also affects such institutions like schools and hospitals. When schools and hospitals are affected, the development in the coastal areas is negatively impacted. The erosion in the coastal areas causes loss of vegetation to the water. This destroys the natural habitat of many coastal wildlife which acts as a tourist attraction to many coastal regions. The water animals that prefer to live in the shallow water are forced to migrate. Siltation in the rivers and coastal waters contaminates the natural habitats of water animals such as fish. This affects the fishing activities around the coastal region. Some communities that reside around the coastal region depend on the fish as their daily economic activity. This increases the rate of poverty in some coastal areas. Poverty leads to poor living conditions and largely, it causes people to engage themselves in criminal activities in order to earn a living (Zhang et al 111). As such, the coastal erosion has in the minimal way contributed to the rise in the crime rate around the coastal regions. The coastal erosion also affects transportation of goods. The countries that have access to the coastline have their importation and exportation port at the coast. Ports are built in the areas where the water is deep. Erosion of the sand dunes, cliffs and coastal sands makes the seawater around the costa to be shallow. Some features such as coral leafs are destroyed. This affects the transportation and docking of ships (Gillespie and Clague 161). Big ships cannot dock in the shallow water. Shallow water requires the authorities in the region to use much money in digging the port. As such, erosion around the coast regions affects the entire economy of the country and the neighbouring countries. On top of the economic life, shallow seas discourage navigation around the coast. Navigation acts as the main way in which people from different regions around the word interacts and are able to exchange culture, values and knowledge. Other effects of the coastal erosion to the humanity include natural regeneration and reduction in the mangrove swamps and loss of biodiversity. Some major deadly diseases result from the rise in the seawater. Despite many negative impact of the coastal erosion to the human life, coastal erosion has contributed positively to human life in some ways. Erosion of the glacial landforms leads to the creation of other coastal structures. When glacial landforms are eroded, beaches, barrier beaches, dunes and other naturally occurring structures are formed. Formed beaches increase activities around the coast. It facilitates recreational and tourism activities around the affected regions. Natural structures formed also acts as a tourist attraction. This improves the economic life of these regions. Created beaches also result into coastal migration (King and Muriel 72). People move to the coast regions in such for better places to life. The extended beaches create more area for more people. As such, in some regions around the world, coastal erosion has caused human migration to the coastal regions. The erosion of the sand and rocks in the coastal region reinforces dunes and bluff around the coastal region. These bluffs and dunes help to prevent the high water caused by the storms from damaging human habitats. They act as a reservoir for the offshore sandbar, beaches, and shoal formation. Many regions around the world such as in the coastal region of Australia, the coastal erosion has caused a rise in the level of the seawater. The water rises in the ports and in some cases, it reaches the human habitat. Rising in the water level allows the ship to carry more cargos (Pranzini and Williams 275). Big ships require a deep port in order to load and offload cargoes. Therefore, the rise in the level of the water encourages transportation of goods around some beaches. Most ports are dug deep into the sea in order to create an area where heavy ships can dock. Coastal erosion can facilitate trade between many regions. Rise in the level of the water caused by the erosion of the sand and stones that sound the sea create some economic activities around the sea that would not have been possible. Some countries that have costa line use the seawater as a source of electricity. When the level of the water rises due to the erosion at the coast, it creates a better room for the production of the hydroelectric power. Erosion at the coast regions has had a major impact in the life around the coast. The erosion affects the standards of living, destroys the infrastructures and alter economic life of many coastal regions. It has led to the migration of the people both to the coast and away from the coast. On the positive side, the erosion has led to the led to the creation of natural structures that acts as a tourist attraction and is used for recreational purposes. Erosion around the coastal arrears is a product of both human and natural activities; however, the impact on the humanity has been very huge in many coastal areas. Various measures are taken to mitigate the negative impact of the coastal erosion include creating stones embankment, afforestation, deportation treatment of urban soil and monitoring activities that lead to the erosion (Evans and Edmund 63). Works Cited Evans, Edward, and Edmund C. Rowsell. Future flooding and coastal erosion risks. London: Thomas Telford, 2007. Print. Gillespie, Rosemary G, and Clague, Daniel. Encyclopedia of Islands. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. Print. King, Cuchlaine, and Muriel King. Beaches and coasts:Managing coastal erosion. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 2010. Print. Pranzini, Enzo, and Williams, Alfred. Coastal erosion and protection in Europe. London New York, NY: Routledge, 2013. Print. Zhang, Keqi, Bruce C. Douglas, and Stephen P. Leatherman. "Global warming and coastal erosion." Climatic Change 64.1 (2004): 41-58. Print. Read More