The Great Bristol GA 6th Form Competition 2011

A Decision Making ExerciseWhat will happen when the Mare of all Super floods

hits the Western(on) world?

OR

The future management of the Somerset coastal zone

A Top tip

• The information you are about to receive is vital to your success

• So make some notes as you will not receive a copy of this PowerPoint

Can you ever make a decision? (My mum 1996)• A key element of geography and the working world is decision making• The key is..1. Be informed. Read up to give you breadth of understanding of the SEEP

points (Social, Economic, Environmental and Political)2. Then you can make an informed decision which will allow you to PEE (a

great relief)

3. Identify your social, economic and environmental Points and consider the sustainability factor

4. Expand and explain your points

5. Support them with Evidence

6. Finally see the complexity ‘However’, Recognise your weaknesses and prepare your counter arguments

1. A natural process by which the earth’s climate changes over time

What is climate change?

1. The Greenhouse effect is a natural process2. Sun’s energy enters atmosphere as short wave ultra violet solar

radiation3. About half of this solar energy is absorbed by earth4. The rest is reflected off the earth’s surface as long wave infrared

radiation5. The heat of infrared radiation is of a wavelength which is naturally

absorbed by "greenhouse gas molecules" in the upper atmosphere such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane.

6. These molecules absorb some of this radiation and readmit it in all directions

7. The effect of this is to warm the earth’s lower atmosphere8. Without the greenhouse effect Life on earth would eb very diifernt

Has it got anything to do with the greenhouse effect?

What could happen to sea levels in the future?

What could happen to the ice?

Who is already being Affected?• The Maldives being a

fragile low lying small island ecosystem, is very vulnerable to climate change and its associated impacts especially the predicted sea level rise.

• Although the Maldives contributes minimally to the global greenhouse gas emissions: 0.001% (MHAHE 2001), it is among the most susceptible to impacts of the changes in climate.

What is the general trend shown in the graph? Use figures to describe the trend.

Describe what has happened to sea levels over time

A map of the UK after a sea level rise of 84 metres - 275 feet.This is what would be left of the UK if all the world's ice melted.

Where would you want to live?Where is a place you would not want to live?

Why should I care?

• The anticipated range of relative sea-level rise by the 2080s (relative to the 1961-1990 mean) is 20-80 cm in south-west England

Somerset risk areas

http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=51.2439,-2.7562&z=7&m=14

“Threat of coastal flooding in Burnham-On-Sea to be debated”

Coastal Group chairman Humphrey Temperley added: “Coastal erosion is nothing new – communities have suffered its effects throughout history and it will go on happening. We need to look now at how we can cope with it over the next 100 years, given what we know about the resources that will be available and how the coast will change.”

What about the local impact?

Source: http://flood.firetree.net/

What about the local impact?

Source: http://flood.firetree.net/

What about the local impact?

Source: http://flood.firetree.net/

The locations you will focus on

Weston Super Mare

Burnham on Sea

Sand Bay

Location: On the Bristol Channel coast, 18 miles south west of Bristol.

Average Height above sea level: 5 metres

Population: 71,758 (UK census 2001)

Function: Seaside resort + tourism – 5.3 million visitors 2005, Light industries including Vutrix – semiconductor distributor. Two biggest employers = Local council and Weston College

Attractions: The Helicopter Museum, North Somerset Museum, the Grand Pier and the Sea Quarium aquarium. Cultural venues include The Playhouse, The Winter Gardens, and The Blakehay

Theatre & Community Arts Centre.

Local case studies: Weston Super Mare

Location: A strip of coast in which lies 2 miles north of the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare

Average Height above sea level: 6 metres

Population: 1624 (UK census 2001)

Function: Seaside resort + tourism – home to Martyn Leisure Breaks Hotel and several static caravan parks

Attractions: The beach, walks along Sand Point (A National Trust Heritage Site), local bird

populations

Local case studies: Sand Bay + Kew Stoke

Location: A town in Somerset, England, at the mouth of the River Parrett and Bridgwater Bay.

Average Height above sea level: 4 metres

Population: 18,401 (UK census 2001)

Function: Tourism, retail, railway terminal, education (King Alfred School) Golf course facilities

Attractions: The beach, Burnham Holiday Village ‘Haven Holidays’

Local case studies: Burnham on Sea

So what coastal defence solutions

should be considered

?

Do nothing

So what can be done?

Managed retreat

So what can be done?

Hard engineering solutions

So what can be done?

Soft engineering solutions

So what can be done?

A range of solutions

So what can be done?

Your Big decision • Do nothing

• Managed Retreat

• Defend using hard engineering

• Defend using soft engineering

• Employ a range of options

The activity and the task

1. Choose one of the options giving reasons for your choice. You must explain why this option (not just the site) has the most benefits.

2. Include the views of the various stakeholders3. Set the decision within the framework of sustainability.

Remember to cover social, economic and environmental impacts

4. Explain why your decision may not be ideal in all aspects

5. State why you rejected all of the other options6. Explain how the rejected options may have some

advantages

Getting started

1. Send a representative to collect an info pack2. Read through the information in the packs3. Choose your decision, hopefully as a team4. Then distribute the 6 tasks from the previous slide

between the different members of the team5. Send a representative to collect paper, pens etc6. You have one hour before you presentation must be

delivered to the judges7. Good luck and remember fab prizes, fame and glory for

the winning team