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Salt marshes in the southern North Sea are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wadden Sea, the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. They provide a very high nature value while significantly contributing to coastal flood and erosion risk management as a nature-based element of flood and erosion risk management systems for densely populated coastal areas. Climate change-induced sea-level rise is a significant concern: an integrated approach to salt marsh management adapted to the effects of climate change necessitates an understanding of the impact of different management strategies. This review commences with a description of the biogeomorphological conditions and processes in salt marshes for a better understanding of the natural dynamics and how they are influenced by management and climate change. Next, the impact of salt marshes on hydrodynamic processes and their role as nature-based elements of flood and erosion risk management is presented; management options and implementation methods are discussed and analysed concerning coastal flood management and nature conservation requirements. In conclusion, targeted salt marsh management needs to consider the initial conditions and the development aims of the specific site are integrated into a conceptual framework. Salt marshes have the potential to adapt to sea-level rise, thereby contributing to the long-term protection of coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined action of waves, surges and tides can cause flooding, erosion and dune and structure overtopping in many coastal regions. Addressing emergency and risk management in these areas require a combination of targeted campaigns and real-time data that measure all phenomena at stake and can be used to develop comprehensive monitoring platforms. These monitoring platforms can support the development of prediction tools that address all hazards in an integrated way. Herein, we present a methodology focused on multi-hazard coastal alert and risk, and its implementation in a tailored WebGIS platform. The MOSAIC platform offers a one-stop-shop capacity to access in-situ and remote sensing data, and hydrodynamic and morphodynamic predictions, supported by numerical models: SCHISM and XBeach. Information is structured on a local observatory scale, with regional forcings available for the correct interpretation of local hazards effects. This implementation can be further applied and extended to other coastal zones. The MOSAIC platform also provides access to a detailed database of past hazardous events, organized along several risk indicators, for the western coast of Portugal. The combination of features in the platform provides a unique repository of hazard information to support end-users for both emergency and long term risk planning actions.

Coastal communities and their environments are facing unprecedented changes, with climate change driving rising global mean sea level, exacerbating extreme sea level events, and increasing hazards. Whilst adaptations to change have been central to coastal life for millennia, climate change brings a speed and intensity of change not previously experienced. Researchers are noting that adaptations are needed that are large scale and systemic with significant changes to lives and livelihoods – Transformational Adaptations – yet there is little evidence of this in practice, and there remains an operationalisation gap between ambitions and actions. This paper uses a qualitative case study method to assess how existing policy may enable and inhibit local stakeholder involvement in transformational adaptation in English coastal flood and erosion risk management. Through twenty interviews with coastal management stakeholders, the capacity for local coastal management stakeholders to initiate transformational adaptation and the perceived involvement of residents are analysed. The results indicate that transformational adaptation remains a distant aspiration in the English coastal management system, with local stakeholders possessing limited capacity to initiate it. The perceived role for residents in adaptation processes is often focused on their being recipients of adaptation interventions, and there are a range of barriers to their further involvement. The paper concludes that despite the theoretical interest in transformational adaptation, there is limited evidence its implementation in English coastal flood and erosion risk management, and there are multiple priority areas for policy development to support capacity for engaged transformational adaptation practices in coastal management contexts. • There are few examples of transformational adaptation in the English coastal flood and erosion risk management. • The perceived role for residents in adaptation processes is often focused on their being recipients of interventions. • There are a range of barriers for local stakeholders to develop and enact coastal adaptation policy or practice. • There are multiple priorities for policy development to support capacity for engaged transformational adaptation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature‐based coastal adaptation is a subset of nature‐based solutions that has to this point focused on the materiality of managing coastal risks: what our coastal protections are made of or where we put things that are in the way of harm. In our collaborative interdisciplinary work, we have been reimagining nature‐based coastal adaptation to start with first principles: how we think about the coast and what makes a good coastal life. In a nature‐based approach our shared sense of what is good and possible, also known as the social imaginary, needs shifting before any physical material. This paper presents a new nested framework for thinking about nature‐based coastal adaptation using five words starting with R: Reimagine, Reserve, Relocate, Restore, Reinforce. We use the nature‐based adaptation option of managed dyke realignment in Bay of Fundy agricultural dykelands to illustrate the utility of the framework in practice but assert its more generic applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 2023, the Baltic Sea coasts of Germany and Denmark experienced a severe storm surge, predominantly impacting the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and parts of southern Denmark. The surge led to extensive flooding in cities like Flensburg and Schleswig, causing the breaching of at least six (regional) dikes and causing over EUR 200 million in damages in Schleswig-Holstein. By chance, the peak water levels of this storm surge aligned well with those of recent hydrodynamic flood modelling studies of the region. This rare coincidence offers crucial insights for our understanding of flooding impacts, flood management, and modelling. By comparing those studies to the real-world example using extensive media reports, we aim to extract key insights and identify gaps to be tackled in order to improve flood risk modelling in the Baltic Sea region and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fraser River Delta (FRD) is a large sedimentary system and home to Metro Vancouver, situated within the unceded territories of several First Nations. This review provides an overview of the geological evolution of the FRD, connecting hydrodynamic processes with sedimentary deposits across its diverse environments, from the river to the delta slope. The study emphasizes the implications of sedimentation and delta evolution for natural hazards and coastal/delta management, pinpointing knowledge gaps. Comprising four main zones—river, delta plain, tidal flats, and delta slope—the FRD is subject to several natural hazards, including subsidence, flooding, earthquakes, liquefaction, and tsunamis. The delta plain, bordering the Fraser River's distributary channels, hosts tidal marshes and flats, including both active and abandoned areas. Active tidal flats like Roberts Bank and Sturgeon Bank receive sediment directly from the Fraser River, while abandoned tidal flats, like those at Boundary Bay and Mud Bay, no longer receive sediment. The tidal flats transition into the delta slope, characterized by sand in the south and mud in the north of the Main Channel. The FRD's susceptibility to hazards necessitates protective measures, with approximately 250 km of dykes shielding the delta plain from river floods and storm surges. Subsidence amplifies the impact of rising sea levels. Earthquakes in the region can induce tsunamis, submarine slope failures, and liquefaction of delta sediments, emphasizing the importance of incorporating sedimentation patterns and delta evolution into management strategies for sustainable urban development, habitat restoration, and coastal defence initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term sediment demand of the Dutch coast is integral to the current Dutch Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management policy. The Coastal Genesis 2 research programme was initiated to address the sustainability of this policy under sea level rise by focusing on key uncertainties in the conceptual model of the sediment demand of the Dutch coast. The substantive scientific contributions of the Coastal Genesis 2 research programme are analysed in this paper by applying an output-outcome-impact framework. The direct outputs of the programme are categorised in terms of the knowledge types of a 5-element framework, namely measurement data, simulation models, system understanding, conceptual models, and policy and practice. The research outcomes arise from the interactions of these knowledge types. Our analysis of these outcomes highlights that synthesising new scientific insights into shared conceptual models is critical to achieving impact in policy and practice. In the Dutch situation, a new shared conceptual model of the long-term sediment demand enabled the development of four potential nourishment strategies aiming to meet the strategic goals of the Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management policy on a timescale up to 20 years. In 2021, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management officially articulated her intention to adopt the advised nourishment strategy from 2024 onwards. This represents a lasting impact of the Coastal Genesis 2 research programme in policy and practice. Further, the insight regarding the pivotal role of shared conceptual models as intermediary between science, policy and practice may prove useful in the design of future research programmes aiming to influence policy. • Key scientific findings, their synthesis and the impact on policy of the Coastal Genesis 2 research programme. • Synthesising new scientific insights into shared conceptual models is critical to achieving impact in policy and practice. • Coastal policy is underpinned by a conceptual model of the long term sediment budget of the Dutch coast. • Coastal Genesis 2 delivers insights on the sustainable future of the Dutch coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine and coastal environments are diverse and dynamic, supporting competing human interests and demands. As society seeks to balance contested uses of space, more holistic planning processes have emerged, which consider social, economic, and ecological factors. One approach that considers social factors, and more specifically social acceptance, is "social license to operate" (SLO). Originating in the terrestrial mining industry, SLO has been adopted by various marine industries. Except for some emerging work in the conservation field, SLO is typically applied to industrial marine and coastal contexts. To understand SLO's uses in other marine and coastal planning contexts, namely conservation, adaptation, and restoration, we conducted a scoping review using the term SLO and similar concepts, including public or social acceptance, support, and buy-in. Results indicate the concept of SLO is still emerging in non-industrial marine and coastal planning, with an emphasis on gaining public acceptance rather than maintaining it. The concept of SLO was applied broadly, including as a measurement for public support and a product of effective engagement. Most publications focused on barriers and drivers of SLO. Influential factors are identified and organized by theme, then discussed based on their relationships within a social-ecological system framework. Considering the common factors and their associated systems helps to link elements necessary to obtain SLO, highlighting their interconnectedness with each other, society, and the natural environment. The findings of this review illustrate SLO's utility for academics and practitioners alike, through its application in methods, tools, values, and concepts that characterize public inclusion for marine and coastal planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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From 25 to 27 April 2023, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) hosted again the Coasts, Marine Structures, and Breakwaters conference (CMSB)—or Breakwaters for short, as it is sometimes named—at the Marriott Hotel in Portsmouth, UK. The CMSB conference series, held by the ICE for more than 30 years, is one of the leading international forums for the presentation of the latest developments in coastal and maritime engineering. Its previous edition, already the 11th conference in the series, took place in Liverpool from the 5 to 7 September 2017, and set the bar once again very high for its successor. The conference focused on the latest developments across maritime engineering topics from coasts to ports and waterfronts to breakwaters, while concentrating on the full spectrum of research, study, design, construction, and operations. In view of the ever-increasing attention on climate change, an additional spotlight was also placed on how resilience and adaptability are being addressed by the maritime sector. This communication reports on the 2023 CMSB conference, some of the insights and impressions gathered at the conference by the author, and the relevance of the presented material to the tackling of some of the important issues facing our coastal communities and broader environment today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land cover and use due to anthropogenic activities are the main reason for the increased risk of natural qualitative disturbances. Some of the most frequent and serious hazards, which characterized the whole territory of Bulgaria are soil erosion and floods and one of the most affected areas at the national level is Blagoevgrad district. The need for more preventive activities for the betterment of forest ecosystems conditions to mitigate erosion processes and the risk of flooding is well proven, but the potential of urban green infrastructure to provide such services is still not studied in detail. Considering the variety of sub-types of urban ecosystems and the specific combinations of relevant parameters, assessment and mapping of the state of urban ecosystems in the case-study area of Blagoevgrad district in relation to the flooding risk is elaborated. The developed MAES methodology was applied at regional to study the potential of ecosystems to mitigate flooding risk and the results are compared with those for West Aegean River Basin Directorate. Flood risk assessment has been made at two levels - for the district and separately for the settlements with more than 2000 inhabitants. The assessment of flooding risk at district level was bad (score 2 according to the proposed scale), while the territory at risk is1862.7 ha presenting 11.2% of the total area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical hydrodynamic model was used to simulate the generation and evolution of storm surges in Atlantic Canada in response to synoptic‐scale surface wind and atmospheric pressure fields. The modelling was conducted as part of a broader initiative to support community‐scale inundation modelling and coastal flood risk assessment for communities located in the Acadian Peninsula region of New Brunswick. The 44 largest storm surge events on record at a tide gauge proximate to the region of interest were simulated using the numerical model. Initially, a comparison between simulated storm surges and peak non‐tidal residuals from tide gauge records showed relatively poor agreement, producing an R2 value of 0.403. Model skill was improved by incorporating the influence of sea ice cover on air‐sea momentum transfer in the hydrodynamic model, and improved correlation with measured residuals was obtained by adding estimates of wave set‐up to the predicted storm surges, ultimately resulting in an R2 value of 0.803. The results of the simulations provided a basis for identifying distinct regional factors affecting storm surges and water level residuals and demonstrated conditions where wave set‐up and sea ice cover play an important role in contributing to extreme high water levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The description of named entities in terminological knowledge bases has never been addressed in any depth in terminology. Firm preconceptions, rooted in philosophy, about the only referential function of proper names have presumably led to disparage their inclusion in terminology resources, despite the relevance of named entities having been highlighted by prominent figures in the discipline of terminology. Scholars from different branches of linguistics depart from the conservative stance on proper names and have foregrounded the need for a novel approach, more linguistic than philosophical, to describing proper names. Therefore, this paper proposed a linguistic and terminological approach to the study of named entities when used in scientific discourse, with the purpose of representing them in EcoLexicon, an environmental knowledge base designed according to the premises of Frame-based Terminology. We focused more specifically on named rivers (or potamonyms) mentioned in a coastal engineering corpus. Inclusion of named entities in terminological knowledge bases requires analyzing the context that surrounds them in specialized texts because these contexts convey specialized knowledge about named entities. For the semantic representation of context, this paper thus analyzed the local syntactic and semantic contexts that surrounded potamonyms in coastal engineering texts and described the semantic annotation of the predicate-argument structure of sentences where a potamonym was mentioned. The semantic variables annotated were the following: (1) semantic category of the arguments; (2) semantic role of the arguments; (3) semantic relation between the arguments; and (4) lexical domain of the verbs. This method yielded valuable insight into the different semantic roles that named rivers played, the entities and processes that participated in the events educed by potamonyms through verbs, and how they all interacted. Furthermore, since arguments are specialized terms and verbs are relational constructs, the analysis of argument structure led to the construction of semantic networks that depicted specialized knowledge about named rivers. These conceptual networks were then used to craft the thematic description of potamonyms. Accordingly, the semantic network and the thematic description not only constituted the representation of a potamonym in EcoLexicon, but also allowed the geographic contextualization of specialized concepts in the terminological resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable flood risk management (SFRM) has become popular since the 1980s. Many governmental and non-governmental organisations have been keen on implementing the SFRM strategies by integrating social, ecological, and economic themes into their flood risk management (FRM) practices. However, the justifications for SFRM are still somewhat embryonic, and it is not yet clear whether this concept is influencing current policies in different countries. This paper reviews the past and current flood management experiences from flood defence to SFRM in four developed countries to highlight lessons for coastal megacities in development. The paper explores recent strategies such as "Making Space for Water", Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in the UK and "Room for the River" in the Netherlands, which were implemented to mitigate flooding, integrate FRM with sustainability concepts, and deliver sound FRM practice for future generations. In this context, the United States has also established a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and in a different approach, Japan has developed an advanced flood warning and evacuation contingency system to prepare for climatic extremes. These case studies give good lessons in achieving long-term SFRM to deliver sound flood management practices considering socio-economic and environmental concerns. Most developing coastal megacities especially in Asia are still heavily reliant on a traditional hard-engineering approach, which may not be enough to mitigate substantial risks due to human factors (e.g. large population, rapid socio-economic growth, subsidence from excessive groundwater extraction) and natural factors (e.g. climate change including sea-level rise and land subsidence). It is clear that different countries and cities have their interpretation of SFRM, but this paper explores how policymakers can adopt "mixed options" to move towards long-term thinking about sustainability with social, economic, and environmental considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an international and national overview of climate change and biodiversity frameworks and is focused on emerging evidence of Indigenous leadership and collaborations in Canada. After introducing the international context and describing the national policy landscape, we provide preliminary evidence documenting emerging national, regional, and local examples of Indigenous-led collaborative conservation projects and nature-based climate change solutions for the climate crisis. Based on our preliminary data, we suggest that Indigenous peoples and communities are well-positioned and currently have and will continue to play important roles in the protection, conservation management, and restoration of lands and waters in Canada and globally. These efforts are critical to the global mitigation, sequestration, and storage of greenhouse gases (GHGs) precipitating the climate crisis while also building adaptive resiliency to reduce impacts. Emerging Canadian evidence suggests that there are a diversity of co-benefits that Indigenous-led nature-based solutions to climate change and biodiversity protection bring, enabled by creating ethical space for reconciliation and conservation collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the Coastal Genesis 2 research programme and its role in contributing to Dutch coastal policy are described in the paper. The organisation of policy development related to coastal flood risk and erosion in The Netherlands is addressed, highlighting the division of responsibilities between the policy and operational directorates of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. A conceptual model of the long term sediment budget of the Dutch coast that underpins the current Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management policy is detailed. The role of the operational directorate Rijkswaterstaat in coordinating a 'Research for Policy' cycle as a means of generating new insights on the coastal system and ensuring their subsequent inclusion in a new/revised conceptual model, is highlighted. By detailing the new conceptual model of the long term sediment budget, the paper demonstrates how key uncertainties related to this model guided the determination of the research agenda for Coastal Genesis 2. The paper concludes by reflecting briefly on the outcomes of the research programme and the role of the 'Research for Policy' cycle in ensuring the sustainable future of the Dutch coast. • Dutch coastal policy development responsibilities are divided between operational and policy directorates. • A 'Research for Policy' cycle coordinates developing new insights and providing policy advice. • Coastal policy is underpinned by a conceptual model of the long term sediment budget of the Dutch coast. • Revising the conceptual model of the long term coastal sediment budget guides the research programme. • Coastal Genesis 2 delivers insights on the sustainable future of the Dutch coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One area where climate adaptation policies are proving difficult to design and implement is at the coast. On one hand, some of the most severe impacts of climate change are being recorded at the coast – especially through erosion and flooding – whilst on the other hand, these areas represent complex land-sea planning and policy interfaces. This paper analyses the coherency of policies along Ireland's coast from a climate adaptation perspective. Results suggest that many policies are developed in an ad-hoc fashion around the needs of single sectors. Improved policy coherence at all levels of governance is required to address this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tidsskrift for Miljø is the property of Djøf Forlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Featured Application: Monitoring and forecasting platforms such as MOSAIC can support real-time response and alert, contribute to emergency assessment and risk management for multiple hazards in coastal regions, performing new safety comprehensive approaches for these areas. The combined action of waves, surges and tides can cause flooding, erosion and dune and structure overtopping in many coastal regions. Addressing emergency and risk management in these areas require a combination of targeted campaigns and real-time data that measure all phenomena at stake and can be used to develop comprehensive monitoring platforms. These monitoring platforms can support the development of prediction tools that address all hazards in an integrated way. Herein, we present a methodology focused on multi-hazard coastal alert and risk, and its implementation in a tailored WebGIS platform. The MOSAIC platform offers a one-stop-shop capacity to access in-situ and remote sensing data, and hydrodynamic and morphodynamic predictions, supported by numerical models: SCHISM and XBeach. Information is structured on a local observatory scale, with regional forcings available for the correct interpretation of local hazards effects. This implementation can be further applied and extended to other coastal zones. The MOSAIC platform also provides access to a detailed database of past hazardous events, organized along several risk indicators, for the western coast of Portugal. The combination of features in the platform provides a unique repository of hazard information to support end-users for both emergency and long term risk planning actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of microplastic pollution has seen an increasing focus over the last decade, both as a scientific research topic and due to intensive media interest. Despite this, there has been, until recently, a relative paucity of data relating to the volume and type of microplastics in the marine environment. The Cell 1 Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme, which covers approximately 300 km of the northeast England coastline, has recently collected subtidal sediment samples from the bed of the North Sea and analysed these for particle size distribution and microplastic content. This paper presents the results of this analysis along with a literature review of the sources, movements and concentration of microplastics in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation to climate change is emerging as a central objective and policy frame for coastal communities. This paper examines recent climate change adaptation efforts in the UK, centring on the case of Fairbourne, Wales. The village is facing the long-term prospect of flooding and inundation due to the impacts of sea level rise. The recent Shoreline Management Plan for the area has recommended realignment of the coast and eventual decommissioning of Fairbourne. The paper draws on a qualitative research methodology of interviews, policy review and observation to narrate the case and provide key insights and lessons for planners working in environmentally vulnerable coastal settings and managing climate adaptation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding social-ecological system (SES) feedbacks and interactions is crucial to improving societal resilience to growing environmental challenges. Social-ecological systems are usually researched at one of two spatial scales: local placed-based empirical studies or system-scale modelling, with limited efforts to date exploring the merits of combining these two analytical approaches and scales. Here, we take a multiscale interdisciplinary approach to elucidate the social dynamics underpinning cross-sectoral feedbacks and unintended consequences of decision-making that can affect social-ecological system vulnerability unexpectedly. We combined empirical place-based research with the Robustness Framework, a dynamic system level analysis platform, to analyse the characteristics and robustness of a coastal SES in Cornwall, UK. Embedding place-based empirical analysis into a broader institutional framework revealed SES feedbacks and "maladaptations". We find that decentralisation efforts coupled with government austerity measures amplify second-order (reputational) risks. This prompted temporal policy trade-offs, which increased individual and community vulnerability and reduced social-ecological system robustness, impeding local adaptation to climate change. We identify opportunities to ameliorate these maladaptations by (1) implementing coordination rules that can guide policymakers in instances of conflicting coastal management pressures, and (2) recognising how second-order risks influence decision-making. This work demonstrates the strengths of combining local and regional analyses to assess the robustness of social-ecological systems exposed to environmental changes, such as climate change and sea level rise. Our results show how analysis of the multiscale effects of climate policies, decision-making processes and second-order risks can usefully support local climate change adaptation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased exposure of urban areas to flood risk, especially related to climate change, has promoted interest in sustainable approaches to flood risk management ( FRM), including the use of natural processes. In this context, the study set out to review the potential contribution of rural land management to the alleviation of flood risk and the suitability of a range of instruments, such as land sales, leasebacks, easements and annual payments that have been, or can be used to mobilise the provision of FRM services by land managers. Insights from literature, key informants, a review of international experience and a stakeholder workshop were used. Frameworks were developed to conceptualise and guide the selection of mechanisms of exchange between buyers and sellers of rural land-based FRM services. Key challenges concern the definition of units of FRM service and the design of exchange mechanisms to satisfy the different needs of flood risk managers, land managers and other interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown, J.M.; Prime, T.; Phelps, J.J.C.; Barkwith, A.; Hurst, M.D.; Ellis, M.A.; Masselink, G., and Plater, A.J., 2016. Spatio-temporal Variability in the Tipping Points of Coastal Defense. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 1042 - 1046. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. To enable effective adaptive management, early warning of when a 'tipping point' within a system's defense may occur is vital. A tipping point is a critical threshold at which the state of a system is altered, perhaps irreversibly. After the extremity of the UK's 2013/2014 winter, many coastal systems have undergone a change in state. For example, the conversion of a sandy beach into a rocky platform or an increase/decrease in flood hazard due to a defense breach or new intervention. Coastal monitoring networks around the UK have enabled data collection of these extreme events to drive model applications to assess plausible changes in coastal conditions that trigger a sudden change in a system's state and conditions that enable recovery. Using available UK monitoring networks and a numerical approach, we focus on Dungeness and Rye Bay, a region of high value in terms of habitat and energy, to assess (i) how the natural variability within the profile of the gravel barrier modifies the overwash rates that can occur and (ii) how ambitious human intervention that re-scape the geomorphic character of the shoreline could impact the critical point at which overwash occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses upon the new landscape of strategic coastal planning and implementation in England and Wales resulting from the development of shoreline management plans (SMPs) by flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCRM) authorities; the issues raised will be very familiar elsewhere in the world. The real test is how to implement the many measures and management decisions within these SMPs. In many cases, those decisions were difficult to reach; sometimes the result was an uneasy agreement to maintain defences indefinitely, if the funding is available; elsewhere, bold decisions were taken to withdraw maintenance using the 'no active intervention' SMP policy option. This policy is often paraphrased as 'do nothing', but in reality it is usually far from being a passive exercise. Depending on the circumstances and rationale for not intervening, it may entail a lot of work and have many implications. What is the nature of current intervention? Are there existing FCRM assets in place, and if so, will they be dismantled or left to disintegrate? Either way, potential impacts upon public health and safety, the natural environment, coastal processes, amenity and local communities and businesses need attention, and the exercise needs careful planning and engagement. There may be other options to consider, such as the 'localisation' or transfer of assets, and management of them, to third parties - but what are the liabilities associated with this and is it sustainable? A well-planned decommissioning of assets that is written into a SMP in advance is more likely to address these implications successfully, whereas a withdrawal from maintenance in the teeth of local opposition despite an original intention to defend may become complicated. The FCRM community needs to be prepared for these decisions and their consequences in advance. Additionally, is 'no active intervention' compliant with European law? The Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are working with local authorities and other partners on a number of initiatives that will clarify issues, review experience and provide simple, practical guidance to risk management authorities faced with implementing a 'no active intervention' option. This paper will highlight the results and products of some of these initiatives and reflect more widely on the 'deliverability' of SMPs as they stand. 'Doing nothing' at the coast is clearly less relaxing than it sounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]