Soft engineering

Start with the main approaches

Begin with the mind map Soft Engineering. It introduces beach nourishment as adding sand to replace material lost through erosion. It also mentions marsh creation. Use the branches to identify each approach and note what it involves.

Next, look at Coastal Management: Soft Engineering. Its branches include beach replenishment, cliff regrading, dune stabilisation and managed retreat. Compare the approaches named in the maps and make a short list of the ones you want to study further.

Explore benefits and drawbacks

The mind map Coastal management - Soft engineering connects beach nourishment with reducing wave energy and maintaining tourism. It also notes the expense and the need to replenish material. Another map, Soft Engineering - Advantages and Disadvantages, looks at beach replenishment and its effects on the beach.

As you read, separate what an approach involves from the benefits and drawbacks listed for it. You can then use those notes to practice explaining an approach in your own words.

Use a case study and flashcards

For a place-based example, open Soft Engineering - Pevensey Bay, Sussex. The map describes a project funded through a public and private partnership. Use it alongside the general maps to connect a named location with the approaches you have studied.

The Soft Engineering flashcards include questions about the advantages of soft engineering and the meaning of beach nourishment. Try answering before looking at each card. Return to a map if you need to check an idea.

Connect your study

Soft engineering is one section of the Coastal Management unit in Geography. The maps and flashcards offer different ways to study the approaches within that unit. There are no quizzes listed on this topic page, but a free account lets you make your own quiz. You could base questions on a map and use the two together.

Choose a map or flashcard deck and make it your starting point.