Building defences on a coastline may cause another part of the coast to suffer erosion or deposition. Some people have the view that we should not interfere with nature.
Building defences against flooding can change habitats and reduce biodiversity. The Cardiff Bay barrage changed the intertidal mud flats into a lagoon and thus reducing areas suitable for wading birds. View a news item and video on this issue
Building flood defences to protect the coastline in the future has to take into account the impact of any construction on all the other aspects of the coastal area., e.g. erosion, housing, tourism, wildlife.
