Soft Engineering - Advantages and Disadvantages

Soft Engineering - Advantages and Disadvantages

1. Beach Replenishment

   • The placing of sand and pebbles on a beach
   • Cost- £5,000 per 100 metres
   • Looks nateral
   • Provides beach for tourists
   • A beach is the best form of natural defences as it dissipates wave energy
   • Cheap
   • May affect plant and animal life in area
   • The scheme requires constant maintenance; it can all be washed away very quickly in as little as one year
   • Disruption for home owners; large noisy lorries full of sand regularly replenish the beach
   • Beach replenishment is a form of soft engineering. Even though this technique provides a beach for tourists, which is the best form of natural defence as it dissipates wave energy and is cheap, it disrupts local home owners, as large noisy lorries full of sand regularly replenish the beach thus affecting plant and animal life in the area

2. Cliff Regrading

   • The cliff is cut back and given a new gentle slope to stop it slumping
   • Cliff regrading is when a cliff is cut back and given a new gentle slope to stop it slumping. When doing this process, the cliffs may be covered in ecomatting to encourage vegetation growth, thus encouraging wildlife in the area. However, this technique is not affective alone as it needs other defences at the cliff foot, and some homes on the cliff may have to be demolished
   • May be covered in ecomatting to encourage vegetation growth
   • Ver natural - will encourage wildlife in the area
   • Not affective alone - needs other defences at the cliff foot
   • Some homes on the cliff may have to be demolished

3. Managed Retreat

   • Allowing thr sea to gradually flood land or erode cliffs
   • Cost - depends on the costal area
   • Managed retreat allows the sea to gradually flood land or erode cliffs. This technique creates new habitats for plants and birds and is cost effective. However, it is upsetting for landowners who lose land due to this process and it is difficult to estimate the extent of sea movement especially with rising sea levels
   • Creates new habitats for plants and animals
   • Cheap
   • Upsetting for landowners who lose land
   • Difficult to estimate the extent of sea movement especially with rising sea levels