Coastal Management

In the 21st century the pressure for coastal development is increasing while its vulnerability is becoming yet more apparent, particularly as global warming brings increasing sea level rise and more severe storms.  The need for management to be broadly based and meticulously thorough is nowhere more evident than at the coast.

More than 70% of the world’s development (homes, industry, infrastructure) takes place near the coast or in the coastal plain, benefiting from:

• marine resources – food, and access to water for industrial processes
• the sea as a ready means of transport
• the availability of land that is easy to develop
• the quality of the environment.

But the coast is not always a safe place, often vulnerable to flooding and coastal erosion.  Moreover the physical and natural environment of the coast is sensitive, and susceptible to drastic change and serious damage as a result of man’s intervention.

Our capability

Faber Maunsell brings the range of expertise and experience that is crucial to coastal management. We have offices throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, and in Western Europe, and we draw on the resources of the AECOM group in America, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia. The diversity of our in house resources available within the UK alone is immense, regularly applying the skills of

• Specialist coastal engineers - to design deliverable durable solutions
• Geomorphologists – to understand and predict the physical behaviour of the coast
• Ecologists – to play a central role in developing strategies that will safeguard and preferably enhance the nature of the coast.
• Environmental scientists – who understand and help mitigate any impact on aspects such as archaeology, fishing, recreation and, of course, society.
• Geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists – who understand the physical nature of the coast and the soils that make it up
• Numerical modellers – to model the sometimes extremely complex hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes at work at the coast.
• GIS specialists – to facilitate the analysis and presentation of our findings.
• Economists – to quantify the financial and economic impact of coastal management initiatives
• Planners – to play a leading role in ensuring that our work contributes positively to local and national planning initiatives.

Services

Faber Maunsell provides a complete range of services to meet client's requirements for the management of the coast including coastal flood risk management, coast protection, habitat creation and enhancement, small harbours, marinas and jetties.  Our experienced professionals combine practical knowledge with detailed expertise to undertake engineering, scientific, economic and environmental commissions forming a rational basis for acceptable solutions.  We take great pride in being able to apply locally lessons learnt globally.  This approach has led to us winning a wide range of coastal commissions for the Environment Agency and numerous councils.  Our range of capability and experience includes:

• Modelling and determination of coastal and estuarine processes
• development of shoreline management and strategy plans for coastal and estuary areas
• feasibility studies including economic and environmental appraisal 
• development of innovative, sustainable and cost effect scheme solutions 
• design and presentation of schemes to satisfy legislative and government requirements
• development of coastal GIS and data base systems

Recent and current commisions

With commissions ranging from the re-creation of 100ha of barrier island off the Mississippi Delta to ad hoc advice on the repair of a small sea wall, no project is too big or too small for us.

As framework partners to the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Rivers Agency (Northern Ireland), we are engaged in the implementation of Flood Risk Management programmes for many river catchment and coastal areas. Through the Strategic Flood Risk Management Framework for the Environment Agency we undertake work on flood mapping and Catchment Flood Management Plans. 

We have undertaken Shoreline Management Plans and the design of coastal schemes for authorities in England, Wales and Scotland.  Recent commissions have included:

• the design of Cleveleys Coast Protection Scheme on behalf of Wyre Borough Council where we have been praised for our innovative use of recycled materials, and 
• several design and construct commissions on behalf of Network Rail to protect substantial lengths of railways where they run along the shore.

For more information on our experience and capabilities please contact Dick Thomas.