Why are some coastal communities vulnerable? Coastal tourism and Industrial development Coastal tourism contributes significantly to local economies of the region, particularly Kenya, where it accounts for a large and increasing proportion of foreign currency earnings. The absence … Tourism development in the coastal environment has interfaced with the original characteristics of the area upon which it relied for attracting tourists. ... which are unable to cope with bad weather. In Europe, these are largely areas like Majorca, Ibiza, the south of Spain, coastal Portugal, Croatia, and the Greek Islands. It’s only natural...we want to dig our toes into the hot sand and splash in the warm waves. Development can block the inland migration of wetlands in response of sea level rise, and change the amount of sediment delivered to coastal areas and accelerate erosion. Sedimentation from coastal development, urban stormwater runoff, forestry, and agriculture Sedimentation has been identified as a primary stressor for the existence and recovery of coral species and their habitats. There are three main factors which increase vulnerability at the coast - physical, social and economic. Rapid-onset hazards last over periods of minutes to several days and examples include major cyclones accompanied by high winds, waves and surges or tsunamis created by submarine earthquakes and landslides. That’s approximately seven football fields every hour, and a 25 percent increase over the previous 6 … Coastal hazards are physical phenomena that expose a coastal area to risk of property damage, loss of life and environmental degradation. In Bangladesh and Thailand, coastal mangrove forests — important buffers against storms and tidal waves — are giving way to ocean water. An overall review of tourism research on the environment shows that nations do not give priority to environmental sustainability and disregard it to the benefit of economic development. According to a 2009 study, the coastal watersheds of the lower 48 states lose 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands each year to development, drainage, erosion, subsidence and sea-level rise. Every year, thousands of people flock to the warm, sunny beaches of coastal areas. While these activities provide many economic and social benefits, coastal developments can have a negative impact on the Reef’s health. Pollution, logging, dredging, draining of wetlands, and coastal development are all factors that lead to marine habitat destruction. It'll Get Worse Before It Gets Better Sediment deposited onto reefs can smother corals and interfere with their ability to feed, grow, and reproduce. Coastal management Coasts can be protected from erosion through hard engineering, like sea walls, and soft engineering, like beach nourishment. The Great Barrier Reef catchment is used for agriculture, urban and industrial development, mining, port activities and island development. A Coastal Commission staffer said the Coastal Act was meant to protect coastal resources from new development – and that “community character” is one of those resources. In Tanzania and Mozambique the potential for growth of this sector is huge. These have both positive and negative effects. Coastal Development. Hard engineering, like beach nourishment benefits, coastal developments can have a negative impact on the Reef s. - physical, social and economic the coastal environment has interfaced with the original characteristics of area! — are giving way to ocean water... we want to dig our toes into the hot sand splash. 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