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Update
of the beach management manual (RP787)In the UK, over £370 million is spent on coastal defences every year, and this figure will need to double by the 2080s to meet the consequences of climate change and changing demographics. Beaches will play an important role either as the sole barriers to coastal flooding and erosion, or as part of manmade defences. Their maintenance and/or improvement will thus cover a substantial proportion of this expenditure. Beach management in the UK has evolved in design and execution over the last ten years, aided by guidance from the CIRIA Beach management manual, first published in 1996.
In order to continue to provide authoritative guidance to coastal managers on the best ways of managing beaches in a risk and performance based manner, this manual now needs updating. The updated manual will include the latest information on state-of-art methods, guidance & information on beach monitoring and maintenance, evaluation of the state and performance of a beach, design, procurement, execution and the after-care of beach improvement schemes.
This revision is timely, not least because of increasing concerns about climate change. Sea levels are predicted to rise and increased storminess is predicted to cause greater problems in maintaining adequate defences against coastal flooding and erosion.
The new version of the manual will outline the results of recent research (in the UK and beyond) and summarise the experiences of a large number of beach management/recharge schemes that have been carried out since 1996. For example, new information is available on the strategies, quantities and types of sediment needed for the long-term maintenance of a beach would be valuable for optimising management practices.
Many beaches also play an important role in natural conservation and the enjoyment of tourists, holidaymakers and local residents. The optimum management of beaches as part of a coastal defence strategy needs to address the potential impacts on both humans and the natural environment.
This project will produce a good practice guide on beach management in the UK. The main beneficiaries of the project will be:
This project started April 2008
Environment Agency, Natural England, BIRSE, Pevensey Coastal Defence Ltd, SCOPAC, Van Oord and CIRIA Core.
A consortium led by Halcrow with Royal Haskoning and HR Wallingford
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