Game of Floods - Town Beach
Beachfront Business Owner
Assignment: Read the role assignment and background reading below, then answer the questions at the end.
Role Assignment:
You are the owner of ‘Ollie’s Oyster Shack’, a business located on the beach and catering primarily to tourists. It’s a great location in the summer, with long lines of hungry beachgoers. You also love that you are able to buy fresh oysters from Resilience Oysters, the oyster farm down the road. You are concerned about winter storms, though – the water has been very high recently, and a bad storm would wipe you out! You’ve sometimes thought of relocating, but it would be so expensive, and where could you find a better location? Your business is a tourist attraction in its own right and an important part of the beachfront, and you feel the town should take steps to protect it. You have visited other towns with sea walls, and think a sea wall would add to the charm of the beachfront in Resilient.
Your Business in the Town Beach
Background Reading:
Why We Need Sea Walls
July 9, 2019
https://www.iamrenew.com/environment/a-brief-look-into-the-sea-walls/
What is a Sea Wall?
A sea wall is a structure or embankment erected to prevent the sea encroaching on or eroding an area of land. Sea walls are generally massive concrete structures placed along a considerable stretch of shoreline at urban beaches. As sea levels rise, towns and cities are increasingly in danger of being swept away during storms. Many communities have turned to sea walls to protect their lives and property.
An example of a rip-rap ‘mound’ style sea wall.
Types of Sea Walls
The design and type of sea wall that is appropriate depends on the type of storms it must withstand, and the type of coastal erosion that is happening. There are three main types of seawalls: vertical, curved or stepped, and mounds.
Vertical sea walls are built in particularly exposed situations. They reflect wave energy. Because of how the waves bounce off of the sea walls, they are vulnerable to scour and erosion at the base of the wall. This can damage the wall, and also cause the beach in front of the wall to disappear. In some cases, piles are placed in front of the wall to lessen wave energy slightly.
Curved sea walls are a newer technology designed to dissipate wave energy and to repel waves back to the sea. The curve can also prevent the wave overtopping the wall and provides additional protection for the toe of the wall. They can be a good alternative to vertical sea walls, particularly for urban areas, but they are more expensive to build.
Mound type sea walls are wide sloped piles of stone, concrete, or even sandbags. These sea walls are best for less exposed sites – they won’t stop big waves, but they are far less expensive to install, and they still help prevent coastal erosion. Mound type sea walls can be porous, which helps dissipate the energy of the waves as the water passes through the stones.
Case Study: 2004 Tsunami
On 26 December, 2004 a devastating tsunami hit India’s south-eastern coastline and killed thousands. However, the city of Pondicherry escaped unscathed. This was primarily due to Pondicherry’s massive stone seawall, which was tall enough to block the wave. The seawall is more than 300 years old and consists of enormous boulders piled along more than a mile of coastline around Pondicherry’s historic center.
People sitting on Pondicherry's sea wall.
People sort through their belongings in an area near Pondicherry that was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. The village is not protected by a sea wall.
Seawalls are not always advantageous, even against tsunamis. A report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggested that the 2004 tsunami caused less damage in the areas where natural barriers were present, such as mangroves, coral reefs or coastal vegetation. During Japan’s 2011 tsunami, sea walls in most areas were overwhelmed, leading to extensive inland flooding. People living behind sea walls may have had a false sense of security, leading to more loss of life. Additionally, after the water receded, some sea walls actually trapped the water in some areas, preventing it from draining out.
Questions:
1. What are the three types of seawall?
2. How did Pondicherry’s sea wall protect it from the 2004 tsunami?
3. Resilient’s downtown/beach area is located in a bay. What kind of sea wall would be most appropriate for Resilient, and why?
4. Answer this question in character as a beachfront business owner (see the role description at the top). Do you think the town of Resilient should build a seawall to protect your business and the neighboring homes? Why or why not?
Once you have answered the above questions, move on to Part 2 here.
Back to Town Beach Landing Page