Beach nourishment as protection against flood, wave overtopping, and erosion. Experiences from coastal flood protection projects in Denmark from start till end
Type:
Presented during:
CEDA Dredging Days 2024
Authors:
S. Schløer and K. Bundgaard
Abstract
Along many coastlines in Denmark houses and roads have been built alongside the sea. Along coastlines prone to erosion, the upper beach is often protected by a revetment, to protect the hinterland. Instead, the erosion continues in front of the revetment on the beach and the coastline profile, resulting in narrower beaches and steeper coastal profiles. With the increasing sea level due to climate changes these effects will escalate in the future. When the beaches disappear and the water level in front of the revetments increase, the revetments are more exposed and in risk of failure. Further, the hinterland is in larger risk of flooding due to wave overtopping. To counteract this, beach nourishment is often introduced. Generally, the creation of a sandy beach backed by dunes will make waves loose energy, limit wave overtopping and protect the hinterland against erosion. This is not new knowledge, however, with the 'working with nature' concept and the growing focus on sustainable solutions, the method is being applied more and more. In this presentation different beach nourishment projects from Denmark will be presented and some of the challenges with respect to these projects will be highlighted.
Keywords: Beach nourishment, coastal protection, sand resources, natural habitats, stakeholder involvement