ENG101, Semester 1: Coastal Engineering Problems and Solutions Report

This report addresses coastal engineering challenges, focusing on problems caused by natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, and earthquakes. It analyzes the causes of coastal destruction, including underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, and tectonic shifts, using a fishbone diagram and matrix quantification. The report highlights the urgent need for solutions due to property destruction and loss of life, emphasizing the importance of emergency plans, contingency planning, and infrastructure improvements. It references research by Gotham, Campanella, & Lauve‐Moon (2008), Matthews, Home-Douglas & Asee (2017), and Youngman (2015), to explore risk management, community-based solutions, and methods for supporting disaster victims. The report concludes by emphasizing the role of engineers in providing solutions through corrective risk management and creating systems to reinstate victims of disasters. The appendix lists the causes of coastal destruction in order of rate of occurrence.

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coastal Engineering problems
COASTAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
Name
Institution
Lecturer
City/state
Date

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coastal Engineering problems
The purposeful engineering intervention needed at the coastal regions call for the need to act
prudently to curb the ongoing problem within the coastal region. Based on the survey of the
coastal region, it is clear that one of the problems facing engineers is the hazard caused by
hurricanes , erosion at the shoreline and earthquake/tsunami. The effects of this natural
catastrophes are of great destruction to human habitation.
With reference to the selected problem of tsunami/ earthquakes and hurricanes at the coastal
region, the relationship between the real problem and its causes have been represented below
based on fishbone diagram below.
Factors contributing to the problems within coastal region
Tectonic shifts
Earthquakes and tsunami
The graph below represents the amplitude of the causes of destruction of coastal region.
Based on the diagram above, the problem facing engineers at the coastal region is destruction of
properties. Based on the matrix quantification technique
Underwater
landslides
Volcanic
eruptions
Destruction of
coastal region
hurricanes
Violent elnino

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42%
21%
15%
13%
10%
rate of occurance
earthquakes
hurricanes
underwater landslide
volcanic eeruptions
techtonic shifts
violent elnino
Natural occurrences are a problem to the engineers and the inhabitants for their notable
destruction of buildings, they lead to loss of life and destruction of human habitation. It further
lead to economic under development of the nation. There is argent need to generate solutions for
such occurrences. Gotham, Campanella, & Lauve‐Moon (2008), denote that engineers face a
great deal of problem when it comes to designing of the coastal region to reduce the effect of this
natural phenomena’s. The urgent need to deal with this problem is due to the increased rates of
property destruction and death of many civilians. This calls for a restructuring of the coastal
region and preparedness that is to be facilitated by coastal engineers.
To curb and provide solutions to this kind of problem within coastal region, calls for
coordination and having a co-operative process of preparation to go hand in hand with the
available resources. Some of the solution that are undergoing are the preparations for emergency
plans in case of such happenings (Matthews, Home-Douglas & Asee, 2017, p.27). Preparation
for future contingencies for the major disasters. Some aspects of the emergency plans inculcate

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coastal Engineering problems
the aspects of recovery and plans for reconstruction since the natural catastrophes can render
most individual incapable to meet the accepted standard of living. Within this solution, the
engineers are tasked with developing strategic plans on how to use scarce resources in providing
a net of safety to the most vulnerable society members (Leung, Tanko, Burke & Shui, 2017,p.
73).
Additionally, this kind of problem can be solved by majoring on contingency planning. The
engineering council are responsible coming up with process of management to analyze the range
of the disaster and coming up with ideal solution.
According to Youngman (2015), the best solution for this kind of problem from the causes of
the destruction, through weigh the rate of occurrence of each causative agent is focusing on
critical infrastructure. With the help of other companies such as NGOs they are working in
coordination with the engineers to provide structures and facilities that can withstand the
destructive force of hurricanes and elnino/ floods. This has encompassed the construction of
elevated buildings that can shift direction in case of strong winds and elnino that may result in
destruction of property. Holistically, the engineers provide solutions to this problem through
addressing issues such as, corrective risk management to reduce the impact of disaster,
community based risk management and creating modes to reinstate the victims of disaster.

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List of reference
Gotham, K. F.. Campanella, R., Lauve‐Moon, K., (2018) ‘Hazard Experience, Geophysical
Vulnerability, and Flood Risk Perceptions in a Postdisaster City, the Case of New Orleans’, Risk
Analysis: An International Journal, 38(2), pp. 345–356.
Leung, A., Tanko, M., Burke, M., Shui, C. S .,(2017) ‘Bridges, tunnels, and ferries: connectivity,
transport, and the future of Hong Kong’s outlying islands’, Island Studies Journal, 12(2), pp. 61–
82
Matthews, M., Home-Douglas, P., Asee, P., (2017). Engineering for Catastrophe. ASEE
Prism, 27(3), 24–29
Youngman, N. (2015) ‘The development of manufactured flood risk: New Orleans’ mid-century
growth machine and the hurricane of 1947’, Disasters, 39, pp.

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Appendix A
of causes of coastal destruction in order of rate of occurrence are earthquake, hurricane,
underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, tectonic shifts and finally violent elnino all these
combine to generate hazard and chaos within coastal regions.