Nature-Based Shore Projects
Oral
Paul Canning, PhD CEng MICE
Principal Coastal Consultant
Atkins Ltd
Estuaries are often the focus of both man-made infrastructure and valuable flora and fauna. Sand spits are common at the mouth of estuaries, and are one of the key features that influence hydrodynamics and geomorphology. A coastal management scheme has recently been designed and built to manage the Dawlish Warren sand spit at the mouth of the Exe Estuary, in south Devon, UK. It protects 3,000 properties and critical national infrastructure from flooding, restores 2km of internationally designated dune habitat, and provides a flexible way forward through this century for sustainable and balanced management.