AQA A-level Geography · 3.1.3

Coastal management and case studies

Exam-style questions with answers for 3.1.3 Coastal management and case studies in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below.

All questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Reasons for management
Explain why coastlines are managed. [3 marks]
Answer:
To protect homes, businesses and infrastructure from erosion and flooding (1); to protect economic activities such as tourism, ports and farming (1); to conserve valuable habitats and landscapes (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Distinguish between hard engineering and soft engineering. [2 marks]
Answer:
Hard engineering uses artificial structures to control natural processes (1); soft engineering works with natural processes, using methods such as adding sediment or restoring vegetation (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate sea walls. [3 marks]
Answer:
Concrete or stone walls built along the coast, often with a curved face to reflect wave energy back out to sea (1); effective and long-lasting, giving strong protection to property (1); very expensive to build and maintain, unattractive, and reflected waves can scour the beach in front (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate rock armour (rip-rap). [3 marks]
Answer:
Large boulders piled at the foot of a cliff or sea wall (1); absorb wave energy and are cheaper and easier to build than a sea wall (1); can be visually intrusive and may be moved by storms, and access to the beach is reduced (1).
Question 5 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate gabions. [2 marks]
Answer:
Wire cages filled with rocks placed at the base of cliffs to absorb wave energy and prevent slumping (1); cheap and easy to install but short-lived, as the cages rust and look unattractive (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate revetments. [2 marks]
Answer:
Sloping structures of wood, concrete or rock placed on the beach to break up waves (1); relatively cheap and allow some sediment to build up, but they need maintenance and can be damaged in storms (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate groynes. [3 marks]
Answer:
Wooden or rock structures built at right angles to the shore (1); they trap sediment moved by longshore drift, building a wider beach that protects the coast (1); they starve beaches further along the coast of sediment, increasing erosion there (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
What is terminal groyne syndrome? [2 marks]
Answer:
The last groyne in a series traps sediment on its updrift side (1); the area beyond it is starved of sediment, so erosion increases downdrift (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate offshore breakwaters. [2 marks]
Answer:
Rock or concrete barriers built offshore to break waves before they reach the coast (1); reduce wave energy and encourage deposition, but are expensive and can be a hazard to boats (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Explain the purpose of tidal barriers. [2 marks]
Answer:
They are movable gates in estuaries that close when a storm surge or very high tide threatens (1); they protect cities such as London from flooding, as the Thames Barrier does (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe two ways of stabilising cliffs at risk of slumping. [2 marks]
Answer:
Cliff drainage removes water, reducing weight and lubrication (1); regrading to a gentler angle and planting vegetation reduces the risk of slumping (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe and evaluate beach nourishment. [3 marks]
Answer:
Sand or shingle is added to a beach from elsewhere, often dredged from the sea bed (1); the wider beach absorbs wave energy and looks natural, and is relatively cheap (1); it must be repeated regularly, and dredging can damage the sea bed habitat (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Describe two soft engineering methods for protecting sand dunes. [2 marks]
Answer:
Fencing to keep people off the dunes and to trap blowing sand (1); planting marram grass or other vegetation to bind the sand (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Explain what is meant by managed realignment. [3 marks]
Answer:
Existing defences are deliberately breached or removed, so low-lying land behind is allowed to flood (1); the resulting saltmarsh or mudflat absorbs wave energy, reducing flood risk elsewhere (1); it creates habitat but may cause loss of farmland and requires compensation (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Explain how saltmarsh restoration helps to manage coastal flood risk. [2 marks]
Answer:
Saltmarsh vegetation slows tidal currents and absorbs wave energy (1); the marsh traps sediment and can rise with sea level, providing a natural, sustainable buffer (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
What is meant by a do nothing approach? Give one advantage and one disadvantage. [3 marks]
Answer:
No investment is made in new or existing defences, so natural processes continue (1); advantage: saves money and sediment supply from cliffs continues (1); disadvantage: land and property are eventually lost to erosion or flooding (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Evaluate hard engineering as an approach to coastal management. [3 marks]
Answer:
Hard engineering gives reliable, immediate protection in high-value areas (1); it is costly to build and maintain, and can have visual impacts (1); it interferes with natural processes, so can cause erosion elsewhere and may not be sustainable as sea level rises (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Shoreline management
List the four policy options used in Shoreline Management Plans. [4 marks]
Answer:
Hold the line (1); advance the line (1); managed realignment (1); no active intervention (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Shoreline management
What is a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)? [3 marks]
Answer:
A strategy for managing flood and erosion risk along a section of coast over the short, medium and long term (1); based on sediment cells, so it considers how one part of the coast affects another (1); developed by local authorities, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders, and sets a policy for each stretch (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Shoreline management
Explain why coastal management plans are based on sediment cells rather than local authority boundaries. [2 marks]
Answer:
Sediment moves within cells, so a defence in one place affects erosion and deposition along the whole cell (1); managing the whole cell avoids shifting problems from one area to another (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Shoreline management
Explain the role of cost-benefit analysis in coastal management. [3 marks]
Answer:
It compares the costs of a scheme with the value of the property and land it would protect (1); schemes must show a favourable ratio to qualify for government funding (1); low-value land, such as farmland, may not be defended, which creates conflict (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Shoreline management
Explain why conflicts can arise over coastal management decisions. [3 marks]
Answer:
Residents and businesses want defences to protect property, but may not be able to afford them (1); conservationists favour natural processes and habitat creation (1); authorities must balance costs, limited funds and the interests of different groups (1).
Question 23 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Sustainability
Explain what makes a coastal management strategy sustainable. [3 marks]
Answer:
It works with natural processes and the whole sediment cell rather than against them (1); it meets present needs without increasing risks for future generations or other places (1); it is affordable to maintain and adaptable to changes such as rising sea level (1).
Question 24 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Sustainability
Define integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). [3 marks]
Answer:
A whole-coast approach to managing the land and sea interface (1); that brings together all stakeholders and considers environmental, economic and social needs (1); with a long-term view that seeks sustainable use of the coast (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Sustainability
Distinguish between an SMP and ICZM. [2 marks]
Answer:
An SMP focuses on managing flood and erosion risk using sediment cells (1); ICZM is broader, including all uses of the coast, such as ports, fishing and conservation, and the involvement of all stakeholders (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Sustainability
Explain how sea level rise changes the approach to coastal management. [3 marks]
Answer:
Defending all areas becomes unaffordable and less effective (1); more places may adopt managed realignment or no active intervention (1); there is greater emphasis on adaptation, planning and relocating vulnerable communities (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Sustainability
Explain how the risk of coastal flooding depends on both hazard and vulnerability. [2 marks]
Answer:
Hazard is the chance of floods or storm surges occurring (1); vulnerability depends on how many people, how much property is exposed and their ability to prepare and recover, so the same hazard causes more risk in densely populated, poor areas (1).
Question 28 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Local case studies
Describe the management response at Mappleton on the Holderness coast. [4 marks]
Answer:
In 1991 a scheme of rock armour and two rock groynes was built to protect the village (1); the structures trapped sediment and created a wider beach (1); the village was protected, at a cost of about £2 million (1); erosion increased downdrift, to the south, where the coast was left without sediment (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Local case studies
Explain why sustainable management of the Holderness coast is difficult. [3 marks]
Answer:
Soft boulder clay cliffs erode quickly and sediment is moved south towards the Humber (1); defences at one site, such as Mappleton, increase erosion elsewhere (1); funding is limited, so only high-value assets are defended, which leads to conflict with those who are not (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Local case studies
Describe the managed realignment scheme at Medmerry, West Sussex. [4 marks]
Answer:
Completed in 2013 on the coast near Selsey (1); new embankments were built inland, and the old shingle bank was breached to let the sea flood farmland (1); about 183 hectares of intertidal habitat such as saltmarsh and mudflat were created (1); it protects hundreds of homes and a main road, at a cost of about £28 million (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Local case studies
Evaluate the Medmerry managed realignment scheme. [3 marks]
Answer:
It gives long-term flood protection and the new habitat supports wildlife and recreation (1); it was cheaper to maintain than the old shingle defences (1); farmland was lost and the scheme cost millions to build, so some residents and farmers were affected (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Local case studies
Describe the management of unstable cliffs at Lyme Regis. [3 marks]
Answer:
The cliffs are weak clays and shales that suffer from landslides (1); phases of work include sea walls, beach recharge and cliff-slope stabilisation using drainage and soil nails (1); the aim is to protect the town and its tourist economy, though the scheme is expensive (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Explain why the Netherlands is at risk from coastal flooding. [2 marks]
Answer:
About a quarter of the country lies below sea level (1); it lies on a low-lying delta, and the 1953 North Sea storm surge flooded large areas and killed over 1,800 people (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Describe how the Netherlands has responded to the risk of coastal flooding. [3 marks]
Answer:
The Delta Works built dams and storm surge barriers, such as the Oosterschelde barrier (1); dykes, dunes and barriers are monitored and regularly raised (1); policies such as Room for the River allow controlled flooding of floodplains, and the Sand Motor is a large soft engineering project (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Evaluate the Sand Motor project on the Dutch coast. [2 marks]
Answer:
About 21 million m³ of sand was placed in 2011 to let waves and currents spread it along the coast, nourishing beaches naturally and creating recreation space (1); it reduces the need for frequent nourishment, but is costly and its long-term effects are still being monitored (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Explain why Bangladesh is at risk from coastal flooding. [3 marks]
Answer:
It lies on a low-lying delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers (1); tropical cyclones bring storm surges that flood large areas (1); it has a high population density, and many poor people live on exposed land (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Describe how Bangladesh has reduced loss of life from cyclones. [3 marks]
Answer:
Cyclone shelters have been built in coastal areas (1); early warning systems and trained volunteers help communities to evacuate (1); deaths fell from several hundred thousand in 1970 to a few thousand in the 2007 Cyclone Sidr (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Explain how mangrove planting and embankments help to protect the Bangladesh coast. [2 marks]
Answer:
Mangroves absorb wave energy and reduce erosion and storm surge height (1); embankments (polders) protect farmland from tidal flooding, though they can trap water and silt up (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Explain why the Maldives is vulnerable to sea level rise. [2 marks]
Answer:
Most islands are less than 2 m above sea level (1); flooding, erosion and saltwater contamination of freshwater threaten homes, tourism and fishing (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Describe how the Maldives has responded to the threat of sea level rise. [3 marks]
Answer:
Sea walls have been built around the capital, Malé (1); an artificial island, Hulhumalé, has been created by land reclamation and raised to about 2 m above sea level (1); coral reef protection and adaptation planning aim to reduce wave energy and manage risks (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Suggest why tourism is both an opportunity and a risk for the Maldives. [2 marks]
Answer:
Tourism is a major source of income and jobs, and the beautiful coral islands attract visitors (1); it depends on healthy beaches and reefs, which are threatened by sea level rise, reef damage and development (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Responses
Distinguish between resilience, mitigation and adaptation in coastal management. [3 marks]
Answer:
Resilience is the ability of communities and ecosystems to cope with and recover from hazards (1); mitigation is action to reduce the causes or severity of the hazard, such as building defences (1); adaptation is adjusting how people live and plan to reduce harm, such as raising buildings or relocating (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Responses
Evaluate managed realignment and hold the line as sustainable approaches. [3 marks]
Answer:
Hold the line protects existing assets but is costly and may not be sustainable as sea level rises (1); managed realignment is cheaper over the long term and creates habitat (1); but it involves loss of land and requires acceptance by the people affected (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Quantitative skills
A coastal scheme costs £6 million and protects property worth £9 million. Calculate the benefit-cost ratio. [2 marks]
Answer:
Benefits ÷ costs = 9 ÷ 6 (1); = 1.5 (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Quantitative skills
A beach loses 2,500 m³ of sand each year and nourishment costs £12 per m³. Calculate the annual cost of replacing the sand. [2 marks]
Answer:
2,500 × 12 (1); = £30,000 (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Field data
Describe how the effectiveness of coastal defences could be investigated in the field. [3 marks]
Answer:
Measure beach profiles and sediment depth on either side of defences such as groynes (1); record the condition of the defence and signs of erosion, with photographs and sketches (1); interview local people and visitors about how the defences affect them (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.1.3.6 · Contrasting case study
Describe the risks and opportunities that coasts present for human occupation and development. [3 marks]
Answer:
Opportunities: ports and trade, fishing, tourism, flat land for settlement and farming, and energy such as offshore wind (1); risks: coastal flooding, storm surges and tropical storms (1); erosion, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Explain why hard engineering is often used to protect urban coasts while soft engineering is more common in rural areas. [2 marks]
Answer:
Urban areas have high-value property and infrastructure, which justifies the high cost of hard defences (1); in rural areas the value of land is lower, so cheaper, natural methods are more cost-effective (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Hard and soft engineering
Explain how hard and soft engineering may be combined on one stretch of coast. [2 marks]
Answer:
A sea wall protects the cliff foot or town frontage (1); beach nourishment in front of the wall absorbs wave energy and reduces scour, making the defence last longer (1).
Question 50 · Spec 3.1.3.4 · Shoreline management
Outline the role of the Environment Agency in coastal management in England. [2 marks]
Answer:
It provides advice and funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes and works with local councils and others (1); it also gives flood warnings and oversees the plans for tidal flood defences (1).

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