Conflict at the Coast (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Conflict between development & conservation

• Careful management of coastal regions is necessary for sustainability

• Coastal environments have multiple uses:

  • Development such as homes, shops, roads etc.

  • Nature reserves

  • Industry such as ports, fishing and aquaculture

  • Tourism

  • Agriculture

• These different activities bring people and ecosystems together

• This leads to competition for space

• Conflict arises when coastal development is given a higher priority than coastal conservation

Conflict between coastal users

• Coastal users and wildlife are referred to as stakeholders

• Each stakeholder has a different priority or need

  • Wildlife want an unpolluted, safe and quiet environment

  • Local residents want jobs, clean beaches, affordable housing and schools

  • Tourists want beaches, hotels, B&Bs, entertainment, holiday homes, and marinas

  • Employers want building space, offices, and factories

  • Developers want areas by the sea for tourists—hotels, duplexes, golf courses

  • Fishermen want harbours, unpolluted waters, and ease of access to the sea

  • Farmers want well-drained land, sheltered from prevailing winds

  • Government and Councils want to build offshore wind farms and coastal defences

  • Transport companies want good road networks, well-connected ports and terminals

Relationship between stakeholders and coastal zone issues

• The different needs of stakeholders often conflict as they compete for the same resources

Agriculture

• There are several consequences of increased agriculture in coastal areas including:

  • Fertiliser and pesticide overuse

  • Increased livestock density

  • Overwater abstraction

  • Animal waste disposal

  • Land reclamation

• The likely outcomes of this land use are:

  • species and habitat loss

  • eutrophication

  • water pollution

  • coastal squeeze

Urbanisation and transport

• Increased populations in coastal areas lead to:

  • change of land use (car parks, ports etc.)

  • waste disposal

  • fuel spillages

  • change of land use

  • water abstraction

  • sewage disposal

• These consequences can lead to:

  • increased flooding

  • congestion

  • pollution

  • loss of habitats

  • increase weeds and invasive species

Tourism and recreation

• Tourism and recreation activities are increasing in coastal areas, which leads to:

  • the building of harbours and marinas

  • waste disposal

  • fuel spillages

  • change of land use

  • water abstraction

  • sewage disposal

• The consequences of this include:

  • congestion

  • pollution (noise, light, visual and smell)

  • loss of habitats

  • loss of species

  • litter

  • fuel spills

Fisheries and aquaculture

• Fisheries and aquaculture lead to:

  • the building of ports and fish processing facilities

  • road networks

  • increased transport

  • fish farm pollution

  • water abstraction

• The consequences of this include:

  • overfishing

  • pollution on beaches

  • habitat damage

  • pollution (water, smell, visual and noise) pollution

  • increased seagull activity

Industry

• The increase in industry in the coastal zone leads to:

  • land-use change

  • change in tidal range

  • power stations (nuclear and gas)

  • natural resource extraction

  • road networks

  • cooling water/abstraction

  • waste pollution (chemical, biological, nuclear, etc.)

• The consequences of this include:

  • thermal pollution

  • habitat destruction, change and loss

  • water eutrophication

  • water pollution

  • visual eyesore

Conflict matrix

• The level of conflict varies depending on who and what the needs are

• This can be shown in a conflict matrix