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Managing coastal risk in the UK: Coastal Change Management Areas

Managing the risk of coastal flooding and erosion requires planning well into the future. This article describes how Coastal Change Management Areas are used in the UK to increase resilience

Rising tide flooding Bosham, a coastal village in West Sussex

Human pressure on coasts all around the world is increasing — as a place to live, work and visit. At the same time 17% of the UK coast is suffering from erosion, and in England and Wales 28% is experiencing erosion greater than 10 cm per year. Sea-level rise and vulnerability to extreme storm events are expected to increase due to climate change. This is likely to lead to a faster rate of coastal erosion. Strategic planning for vital infrastructure is needed so that coastal communities can adapt and coastal resilience can increase.

Coastal Change Management Areas (CCMAs) were introduced in the UK in 2010 to reduce the impact of coastal change on vulnerable areas. CCMAs allow local planning authorities (in England this is the responsibility of local councils), to identify areas at risk from coastal change and designate them to ensure there is more control over future developments.

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