Human Activities & Coastal Landscapes (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

Impacts of Human Activity at the Coast

• Coastal areas provide many opportunities for human activities

• Human activities at the coast affect coastal landscapes and processes

• It is estimated that approximately 8 million people live in coastal communities in the UK

• The effects of human activities may be:

  • Direct or indirect

  • Positive or negative

Table of Impacts on Coasts

Impacts of Coastal Recession & Flooding

Coastal Recession

• Coastal retreat is also known as coastal recession

  • It occurs as a result of coastal erosion

• Coastal areas erode at different rates

  • The fastest-eroding coastal areas are moving inland at an average rate of 2 metres a year

• Coastal recession can happen gradually 

• It can also happen rapidly when there is a landslide and a large area of land is eroded at once

Impacts of coastal recession

• The loss of land as a result of coastal recession can have a variety of impacts

Impacts of coastal recession in Skipsea, East Yorkshire

• Loss of transport routes, including rail and road, can lead to long and expensive detours

• Farmers may lose land, which reduces their income

• On the Holderness coast in East Yorkshire, in the last 1500 years, 5km of land has been lost to coastal recession

  • This includes over 25 villages

• It is expected that rising sea levels and more severe storms resulting from climate change will increase coastal recession

Coastal flooding

• Coastal flooding occurs when the land is submerged by seawater

• The two main causes of coastal flooding in the UK are:

  • Rising sea levels

  • Storms and storm surges

Rising sea levels

• Since 1900, the average sea level around the UK has risen between 12 and 16cm

• By 2050, it is estimated that they will have risen by a further 35cm 

  • As a result, 200,000 coastal properties and businesses will be at risk

Storms and storm surges

• It is predicted that climate change will result in an increased frequency and severity of storms

• This will lead to increased risk of storm surges

A storm surge

• Storm surges combined with high tides place more areas at risk

  • In 1953, a storm surge in the North Sea led to:

    • Over 300 deaths

    • Damage to 24,000 properties 

    • The loss of 160,000 acres

Impacts of coastal recession and flooding

• Flooding of coastal areas may result in:

  • The destruction of wildlife habitats

  • Damage to homes and businesses

  • Difficulties getting insurance or increased cost of insurance

  • Decreased value of properties

  • Damage to road and railway routes