Living along the coast : building green defences to mitigate the negative effects of coastal erosion in Auckland

Abstract

Coastal erosion is a global issue that threatens human habitation and development. It has far-reaching impacts on environmental, economic, social aspects. Natural factors and human activities combined with climate change will exacerbate the rate of coastal erosion. Almost all of Auckland’s coastlines are vulnerable to coastal erosion. Traditional engineering methods have a variety of adverse effects to the coastal ecosystem. The research aims to explore some resilient strategies and environmentally- friendly interventions with an integrated vision to mitigate coastal erosion in Auckland.

This study is developed on the basis of Ecological Urbanism, case studies which are relevant to this research and environmentally-friendly techniques are reviewed and advantages among those will be used reasonably. Orewa, the research site for this project, is a popular holiday destination but has suffered from coastal erosion for an extended period of time. After analysing the specific site context, adaptive approaches including protection, accommodation and managed retreat will be individually discussed. Finally, protection and accommodation methods will be applied to Orewa according to the innovative concept of compartmentalisation. In the proposal, newly-created natural buffer zones along the coastal edge will effectively reduce coastal hazards such as erosion and create a resilient coastline for the future.

The proposed design can mitigate coastal erosion with no adverse effects to the coastal environment, and also provide social and economic benefits for the Orewa community. The proposal will contribute to building a resilient coastal community in Orewa. The research method can be used as an example in other coastal settlements and similar research on coastal issues.