Removing sea defences may reduce impact of coastal flooding 03
December 2012 A study involving a scientist from the University
of Southampton, which shows that ensuring continued flood
protection for low lying coastal areas may mean sacrificing
cliff top communities to the sea, has won the 2012 Lloyds
Science of Risk prize for Climate Change research. Robert
Nicholls, Professor of Coastal Engineering at the University of
Southampton and co-author of this study, says the research –
which will be further developed in a new book he is leading, to
be launched in Spring 2013 – says that the benefits of
protecting our coastline from erosion must be balanced against
the impacts of coastal flooding. “The trade-off between
protecting cliffs and their role in naturally nourishing our
protective beaches will lead to difficult decisions, especially
as sea levels are rising and finance is in short supply. This
requires strategic planning for the future.” Professor Nicholls
was part of a research team from the Tyndall Cent