Shoreline management - five policy options

"Managed realignment means the deliberate process of realigning river, estuary and/or coastal defences. This may take the form of retreating to higher ground, constructing a set-back line of defence, shortening the overall defence length to be maintained, reducing wall or embankment heights or widening a river flood plain." (DEFRA 2002 Managed Realignment Review.)

The generic policies available to shoreline managers (in relation to Shoreline Management Plans) are:

1. Advance seaward;
2. Stay where you are (hold the line);
3. Work with nature;
4. Leave alone;
5. Retreat.

Comment: "All the above policies will need to be supported by strategic monitoring and must, when implemented, take due account of existing Health and Safety legislation. In most cases it is more appropriate to consider the defence line as a zone of defences protecting assets, particularly in those situations where there is a suite of structures (e.g. seawalls, groynes or revetments) and landforms (e.g. beaches, dunes) which together provide coastal defence. The addition of new components to this suite of defences should generally be viewed as improving the defence zone, rather than advancing the line or realignment. The latter policies should be used where a new zone of defence is considered."

Reference: Taken from the UK's ["Shoreline Management Plans: a Guide to Coastal Defence authorities" Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, June 2001 (DEFRA 2001)]

Key References

DEFRA 2001. Shoreline Management Plans: a Guide for Coastal Defence Authorities. . Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London. Abstract...

DEFRA 2002. Managed Realignment Review - Project Report. Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, London.