2b.10a

Question 1

What two losses from coastal recession can be significant in dense coastal developments

Answer 1

• Economic losses (housing, business, agriculture, infrastructure)
• Social losses (relocation, loss of livelihood, amenity value)
  e.g in holderness or happisburgh

Question 2

State generic examples of economic loss

Answer 2

• Economic losses to businesses if areas become unattractive and depopulated.
• whole village could be at risk (part social)
• Falling property values, and an inability to sell property
• Unexpected recession can cause localised loss (building collapse)
• Loss of a major asset, and the costs of buying a new home
• An inability to insure against the loss (because its a certainty, not a risk)

Question 3

Why do economic losses tend to be quite small

Answer 3

• Erosion happens slowly; a small number of properties are affected over decades.
• Property at risk looses its value to buyers long before it is at risk from erosion
• Areas of high-density population, such as towns and villages, tend to be protected by coastal defences. (which means the actual economic loss is much lower)

Question 4

Outline generic social losses (loss of livelihoods, relocation)

Answer 4

Relocation
- Cost (can be quantified)
- Break up of community, loss of friends and activities like a football team or classes
- Also stressful!

Loss of livelihoods (which can be quantified)
- Source of income (can be quantified)
- Financial problems and job searching leads to stress (and divorces, etc…)

Question 5

What is amenity value?

Answer 5

​There are also losses in amenity value and economic losses to businesses if areas become unattractive and depopulated. For example, abandoned buildings, damaged roads, rerouted footpaths, loss of access to beach. (Amenity value is the value in cultural, human well-being and economic terms of an attractive environment people enjoy using.) ​

Question 6

Describe trinidad’s situation as an island

Answer 6

A small island developing state (SID) – low lying and susceptible to current 0.06 m/yr rise in SL (IPCC).

Question 7

What percentage of trinidad’s population live/work on the coastline

Answer 7

70%

Question 8

Describe Trinidad’s climate

Answer 8

• Winter Storms (Nov-Apr) from Atlantic have higher swell waves – affecting North & East coasts.
• NE-SW wind direction means east coast beaches are subject to southerly LSD – and subsequently have highest erosion rates – esp. Coco Bay and Guayaguayare Bay (0.63m/yr).

Question 9

What is a dense coastal development in trinidad?

Answer 9

Mayaro is largest coastal development (community) – but Guayaguayare vital site of oil industry – main source of GDP and exports

Question 10

Describe coastal flooding in trinidad’s past

Answer 10

Coastal flooding along 20km of Manzanilla Beach in 2014 cuts off routes to SE (300m destroyed).

Question 11

Describe trinidad’s coastline geology

Answer 11

mix of low grade metamorphic rocks, and weak sandstone and alluvium deposits.

Question 12

State three environmental losses from coastal recession at trinidad’s coastline

Answer 12

• Nesting sites for endangered Leatherback turtles along North & East coast beaches (impossible to quantify loss – but RISK: also contribute significantly to growing ecotourism industry.
• 16,000 acre Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary & Reserve on south coast has wealth of flora, fauna.
• Ecosystems thought to adapt to small incremental changes of coastal erosion – so impact is smaller?

Question 13

What social tensions are created by coastal recession at trindiad’s coastline

Answer 13

Social tensions created by individual management attempts upstream which block LSD sediment.

Question 14

How might a loss of livelihoods occur due to coastal retreat at trinidad’s coastline

Answer 14

• Potential loss of coconut plantations (Cocal) which dominate east coast – also home to watermelon and vegetable cash crops (RISK: livelihood for inhabitants).
• RISK: Potential damage to existing hotel & tourist industry (e.g. Manzanillo beach facility) – consider aesthetics!

Question 15

Why might relocation occur at trini coastline

Answer 15

Value of luxury coastal property likely to decrease over time (risk) with increased erosion rates – cost of relocation and break up of community more damaging for poorer locals (stress).

Question 16

What other social losses may occur

Answer 16

Transport/access severely affected by road damage during Manzanillo flood (also location for important Kartik Hindu festival) – RISK: commuters can’t access oil and tourist industries.

Question 17

Describe the state of trinidad and tobago’s economy and what fuels growth in its economy

Answer 17

T&T is the 3rd largest economy in Americas after US & Canada – heavily dependent on Petrochemical industry off the east coast (40% gdp, 80% exports).

Question 18

What economic feature of the coastline is threatened the most by recession

Answer 18

All major natural gas pipelines come ashore at Guayaguayare site to serve rest of country (site of greatest erosion)!!

Question 19

What are the current economic strength of trini coastline that may be destroyed by recession

Answer 19

• There are many luxury beach front homes in Mayaro currently valued in excess of £700k.
• 400,000 + tourists visited last year for desirable beach location and growing Eco-tourism industry

Question 20

What severe economic damage has happened in the past to trini’s coastline

Answer 20

Manzanillo beach flood 2014 destroyed 300m of major access road – replacement could cost up to £5m