Succeeding where Canute failed

It is during the summer months that we derive the most pleasure from it, yet it is at this time of year that we have the most to thank the beach for.

The beach along our part of the Sussex coast is the best defence we have against the winter storms and flooding caused by encroachment of the sea.

Maintaining the beach is an ongoing task to ensure that it continues to offer this type of protection even when the sea is constantly moving it around.

King Canute famously demonstrated to his courtiers that his power did not extend to controlling the sea.

For thousands of years this has been true and even now some parts of the coastline are left to the mercy of the sea, with devastating consequences.

There are parts of our coastline that are rapidly eroding, such as the Seven Sisters (why are they so white?

It's because fresh chalk is constantly exposed by erosion).

Or growing through deposition (Dungeness didn't exist in Roman times).

Yet people with modern lives and nice seaside homes like constancy and do not want to live under the threat of their homes disappearing into the English Channel.

In areas where there are large cliffs, sea walls are constructed to withstand erosion and protect the urban areas behind them.

Along our shoreline, the engineering is a little more subtle, but no less effective and involves the use of groynes, large rocks and the beach shingle itself.

Without these features, it is unlikely that the beach in Worthing would look anything like it does.

Unlike a sea wall, this type of coast protection requires a lot more active maintenance and during the past few weeks you may have seen various pieces of heavy plant machinery moving around large quantities of shingle to make good the damage done by the sea.

In recent years, as our understanding of coastal protection has grown, and the spectre of rising sea levels has become apparent, authorities involved in coastal protection works have worked together to ensure that defences complement each other.

Piecemeal defences are not very effective, since experience has shown that often these transfer erosion problems elsewhere along the coast as wave energy is altered.

Thus, Arun District Council, Worthing Borough Council and the Environment Agency, as the three principal coastal management authorities locally, have developed a joint strategy to deal with the stretch of coast between the Adur and Arun rivers.

This looks at the coastal stretch as a whole and deals with the economic, environmental and social issues associated with maintaining coastal defences to minimise flood risk, encroachment of the beach landwards and future issues related to climate change.

Further details about local coastal defences can be found on the Worthing Borough Council website www.worthing.gov.uk

Put the words "coastal issues" into the search facilitity.

This includes some excellent information for students.