Beaches At Risk

Phase One of an intended six-year, three phase project has just been funded by the European Union Regional Development Fund, under the Interreg III programme. Total value €1.6million.

Project Summary

BAR will highlight the importance of effective beach management for coastal defence, dune rehabilitation, tourism and biodiversity conservation. It will identify beaches suffering greatest erosion on both the Channel coasts, assess their susceptibility to predicted sea level rise and increased storminess, identify nature conservation sites that would be lost or damaged as a result (including vegetated shingle and dunes), and identify the risks for coastal management. Cross Channel research and sharing of expertise and information will better inform regionally coherent coastal management policies.

Location of Project Activity

Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and Kent
Seine Maritime, Somme, Nord and Pas-de-Calais

Project description

Phase I of BAR will:

• Identify current beach deficits (erosional losses) and their causes on the Channel Coasts
• Assess future deficit risks with increased storminess and sea level rise
• Assess the risk of storm wave inundation and coastal flooding (magnitude and frequency of storms and storm surges and the morpho-sedimentary responses of beaches)
• Assess the importance of beach dynamics for biodiversity and nature conservation, with particular reference to vegetated shingle and dune building and rehabilitation
• Inform beach management policy and practice, particularly artificial beach replenishment and biodiversity conservation
  

See for further details

Updated: Thursday, September 8, 2005 10:04