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Building community resilience on a dynamic coast by making space for sand
Our project is about preparing communities to adapt to coastal change and recognising that coastal sand dunes need to be allowed to develop as natural fringes to the coast rather than constrained by inappropriate development or infrastructure.
Our vision is to build community resilience in a changing climate by making space for sand. We adopt an ecosystem approach to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of rising seas, rather than reliance on engineering resilience using “hard lines” associated with traditional coastal defence structures. We are using cutting-edge coastal modelling tools to simulate and visualise future coastal change and work with communities to help sustain coastal sand dune environments. Our project will provide state-of-the-art assessments of Cornwall’s past, present and future sandy beach dune systems.
Video introduction
It has been recognised by national and local government that we are in a climate emergency. An impact of this is future sea level rise and the potential for more extreme storm events, which will be felt significantly by coastal communities.
As sea levels rise, beach and dune systems will erode, these habitats absorb wave energy and are important natural sea defences, but this is only possible where there is a sufficient enough store of sand. Once stores of sand on a beach become reduced, rates of erosion can be enhanced, compounding the problem faced by communities located behind them. The sustainability of many of our beaches is dependent upon the health of the sand dunes that lie behind them. By allowing a dune to roll back and build, we are reducing the longer-term impacts of sea level rise and importantly are buying time to adapt how communities use the coastal fringe.
Our project is focused on building community resilience through natural processes. With rising sea levels there is a risk that beaches and dunes will suffer from coastal squeeze. This impacts the ecological and recreational value of the beach and limits the natural beach and dune processes increasing the vulnerability of coastal communities.
We are focused on a range of themes, including geomorphological, ecological and community/societal activities that will inform resilience planning and a capital investment programme that will help make space for sand.
Our current work
Geomorphogical
Beach/dune surveys (including post storm surveys) on all MS4S sites.
Scientific surveys to determine the thickness of coastal sediments and better understand sediment pathways.
Historical sediment data analysis.
CoastSnap community science stations will be installed to enable beach users to collect useful scientific data.
Ecological
Baseline, Phase 1 habitat surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain surveys tol inform dune biodiversity, health and resilience.
Beach Dune Management Plans development
Community/Societal
Detailed 3D visualisations of coastal change on a number of the MS4S sites.
Training, empowering and equipping community groups to help build more resilient dunes.
Supporting communities to develop resilience and adaptation plans.
The delivery of conferences to focus on both community and ecological resilience.
Use of social media, on-site interpretation, exhibition space and working with community champions to promote the message of the MS4S project.
How you can get involved
If you want to know more, or you want to get involved with our project, please email us at MS4S@cornwall.gov.uk.
How our project is testing innovation
As part of the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme we are testing 5 resilience actions:
Nature based solutions
Community infrastructure resilience
Monitoring and management of local assets
Minimise damages and disruption to small and medium sized businesses
Community and voluntary sector action to be better prepared and recover more quickly
Enable the creation of sustainable and resilient coastal communities that can capitalise on their natural resource to increase economic and resilience opportunities. It will lead to:
A better scientific understanding of coastal change in response to rising sea levels and storm events.
Healthier biodiverse and resilient coastal dune systems, that are less vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal change.
Informed, empowered, prepared and resilient coastal communities who are aware of the impacts of sea level rise.
More sustainable use and development of the coastal fringe, that considers the longer term social, economic and environmental implications of sea level change.
Who we are working with
Building community resilience on a dynamic coast by making space for sand
Our project is about preparing communities to adapt to coastal change and recognising that coastal sand dunes need to be allowed to develop as natural fringes to the coast rather than constrained by inappropriate development or infrastructure.
Our vision is to build community resilience in a changing climate by making space for sand. We adopt an ecosystem approach to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of rising seas, rather than reliance on engineering resilience using “hard lines” associated with traditional coastal defence structures. We are using cutting-edge coastal modelling tools to simulate and visualise future coastal change and work with communities to help sustain coastal sand dune environments. Our project will provide state-of-the-art assessments of Cornwall’s past, present and future sandy beach dune systems.
Video introduction
It has been recognised by national and local government that we are in a climate emergency. An impact of this is future sea level rise and the potential for more extreme storm events, which will be felt significantly by coastal communities.
As sea levels rise, beach and dune systems will erode, these habitats absorb wave energy and are important natural sea defences, but this is only possible where there is a sufficient enough store of sand. Once stores of sand on a beach become reduced, rates of erosion can be enhanced, compounding the problem faced by communities located behind them. The sustainability of many of our beaches is dependent upon the health of the sand dunes that lie behind them. By allowing a dune to roll back and build, we are reducing the longer-term impacts of sea level rise and importantly are buying time to adapt how communities use the coastal fringe.
Our project is focused on building community resilience through natural processes. With rising sea levels there is a risk that beaches and dunes will suffer from coastal squeeze. This impacts the ecological and recreational value of the beach and limits the natural beach and dune processes increasing the vulnerability of coastal communities.
We are focused on a range of themes, including geomorphological, ecological and community/societal activities that will inform resilience planning and a capital investment programme that will help make space for sand.
Our current work
Geomorphogical
Beach/dune surveys (including post storm surveys) on all MS4S sites.
Scientific surveys to determine the thickness of coastal sediments and better understand sediment pathways.
Historical sediment data analysis.
CoastSnap community science stations will be installed to enable beach users to collect useful scientific data.
Ecological
Baseline, Phase 1 habitat surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain surveys tol inform dune biodiversity, health and resilience.
Beach Dune Management Plans development
Community/Societal
Detailed 3D visualisations of coastal change on a number of the MS4S sites.
Training, empowering and equipping community groups to help build more resilient dunes.
Supporting communities to develop resilience and adaptation plans.
The delivery of conferences to focus on both community and ecological resilience.
Use of social media, on-site interpretation, exhibition space and working with community champions to promote the message of the MS4S project.
How you can get involved
If you want to know more, or you want to get involved with our project, please email us at MS4S@cornwall.gov.uk.
How our project is testing innovation
As part of the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme we are testing 5 resilience actions:
Nature based solutions
Community infrastructure resilience
Monitoring and management of local assets
Minimise damages and disruption to small and medium sized businesses
Community and voluntary sector action to be better prepared and recover more quickly
Enable the creation of sustainable and resilient coastal communities that can capitalise on their natural resource to increase economic and resilience opportunities. It will lead to:
A better scientific understanding of coastal change in response to rising sea levels and storm events.
Healthier biodiverse and resilient coastal dune systems, that are less vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal change.
Informed, empowered, prepared and resilient coastal communities who are aware of the impacts of sea level rise.
More sustainable use and development of the coastal fringe, that considers the longer term social, economic and environmental implications of sea level change.
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As sea levels rise, beach and dune systems will erode, these habitats absorb wave energy and are important natural sea defences, but this is only possible where there is a sufficient enough store of sand. Once stores of sand on a beach become reduced, rates of erosion can be enhanced, compounding the problem faced by communities located behind them. The sustainability of many of our beaches is dependent upon the health of the sand dunes that lie behind them. By allowing a dune to roll back and build, we are reducing the longer-term impacts of sea level rise and importantly are buying time to adapt how communities use the coastal fringe.
This impacts the ecological and recreational value of the beach and limits the natural beach and dune processes increasing the vulnerability of coastal communities. 
