Coastal monitoring and historical coastal change : rapid evidence assessment

A common and urgent challenge facing coastal communities in England and Wales is the risk of coastal erosion and flooding. To help coastal communities adapt and become more resilient to these risks, and to better inform future change, there is a need to understand historical coastal change. Coastal change is understood here as change affecting three main realms:
◼ the natural environment - physical changes to the shoreline caused by erosion, landslides, permanent inundation (flooding) or coastal accretion;
◼ the built environment - any modification to the number and footprint of residential properties, non-residential properties, community services, public spaces, utilities, infrastructure (e.g. septic tanks, caravans, rail, road, runways) and cultural heritage sites;
◼ coastal communities - the at-risk population, and their resilience and access to resources which could offset the effects of coastal erosion and flooding hazards.
The REA indicates that there is a large and growing body of coastal change evidence in both England and Wales. This historical evidence, combined with ongoing monitoring programs by the National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes (NNRCMP) and Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre (WCMC), can be used to:
◼ achieve Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) policy aims;
◼ better assess the efficacy of coastal management activities and develop adaptive management approaches;
◼ inform the Shoreline Management Plans (SMP) epoch #1 to epoch #2 transition;
◼ find patterns of change that are relevant to national and local stakeholders;
◼ prepare communities better by increasing their awareness and understanding of risk.