Conflict at the Coast (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Conflict Between Development & Conservation

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.043

• 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

Exam Hint Make sure you consider all the options here. Conflict resolution can be achieved by a mix of strategies, but achieving this is not always straightforward. Therefore, you need to be able to consider the issues that may arise.

Conflict Between Coastal Users

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.043

• 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

*Conflict Matrix *

Exam Hint A conflict matrix is just one way to display information & is subjective in its response. You may not agree with the above levels of conflict, that is fine, so long as you can justify why you disagree or agree.