In the face of growing climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels, extreme storm events, and environmental unpredictability, coastal engineering has shifted toward solutions that work with nature to enhance resilience and sustainability. While nature-based solutions have been successfully implemented in inshore and estuarine environments, high-wave energy open coasts present unique challenges that require innovative approaches.
At the recent International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE 2024), ICM's Senior Coastal Engineer, Sam King, presented on the topic of "Working with Nature Along Open Coasts, The Past, Present and Future.” This research highlights the progress and potential of nature-based solutions, particularly in challenging environments like open coasts, where the forces of nature are often more extreme. Below, we explore the key takeaways from this important work, which focuses on balancing coastal protection with ecological and community values.
The Shift Toward Nature-Based Solutions
In recent years, the field of coastal engineering has increasingly adopted nature-based solutions to address the dual goals of coastal protection and ecological restoration. These approaches aim to harness natural processes to improve ecosystem health, sequester carbon, and preserve coastal community values, while also providing practical benefits like erosion control and improved fisheries.
However, when it comes to high-wave energy open coasts, where the environment is more dynamic and extreme, nature-based solutions alone often struggle to provide immediate or long-term protection. As a result, hybrid solutions—which combine both natural and engineered elements—are becoming increasingly critical for achieving the desired outcomes.
Past Experiences and Proven Hybrid Solutions
Drawing from past projects, ICM’s research has explored how hybrid nature-based solutions can be applied to high-wave energy environments. Examples include the use of dune management and beach vegetation practices alongside buried seawalls, which allow natural processes to absorb and respond to coastal erosion trends while maintaining the protective capabilities of engineered infrastructure.
Similarly, the use of artificial reefs and nearshore nourishment has proven successful in maintaining beach amenity and resilience while enhancing coastal protection during severe storm events. The Narrowneck Artificial Reef on the Gold Coast, Australia, serves as a prime example of this approach, where environmental values were improved through the integration of sustainable materials to support marine habitats.
Present Innovations and Challenges
As the field of coastal engineering continues to evolve, coastal communities are increasingly calling for more innovative and sustainable solutions. Competitions like the Oceanside Re:Beach Design Competition in the U.S. and recent policy developments, such as the Biden-Harris roadmap for nature-based solutions, highlight the growing demand for environmentally conscious approaches to coastal protection.
However, implementing these solutions on open coasts comes with its own set of challenges:
Immediate protection needs: Ecological processes take time to fully develop. In high-energy environments, this can leave areas vulnerable in the short term.
Wave energy impacts: The extreme conditions on open coasts can impose significant stress on natural systems, leading to potential loss of protection capacity during severe weather events.
Ecological incompatibilities: High-energy environments may not always be conducive to the successful establishment of certain natural systems, particularly those that require stable sediment conditions.
Despite these challenges, the present state of nature-based solutions offers promising opportunities. With improved tools such as the Australian Guidelines for Nature-Based Methods and the USACE Engineering with Nature Toolkit, engineers now have better frameworks to integrate nature-based elements into coastal protection projects.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, coastal managers and engineers will need to adopt more integrated coastal management systems that combine both conventional and nature-based solutions to address the long-term impacts of climate change. These approaches will need to preserve coastal values, protect community livelihoods, and ensure sustainable coastal economies.
Pilot projects, like ICM’s work on the Oceanside Re:Beach Project, will be key to advancing these strategies. Ongoing monitoring and research will play a vital role in refining nature-based guidelines and ensuring that future projects are both resilient and adaptable to the changing coastal environment.
The shift toward working with nature in coastal engineering represents a fundamental change in how we approach coastal protection in the face of climate change. By integrating nature-based solutions with conventional engineering methods, we can create robust, sustainable systems that protect both our coastlines and the communities that rely on them.
Interested in learning how nature-based coastal protection can benefit your next project? Contact us today to discuss how ICM’s innovative solutions can help enhance coastal resilience while preserving environmental and community values.
