Nature-based solutions for coastal defence

Global climate change-driven sea level rise and frequent storms increase the frequency and severity of coastal hazards. Therefore, some form of engineering interventions are required to control coastal erosion and flooding. Nature-based coastal engineering solutions are being increasingly preferred over grey infrastructure to keep coastlines safe. Many coastal systems are presented with large and complex vegetated ecosystems such as salt marshes, mangroves, sea grass beds and dune grass. Although these vegetated ecosystems are known to act as natural barriers against coastal erosion and flooding the underlying physical interactions between hydro-sediment dynamics and vegetation are not well known. This project will investigate the interactions and feedback between the complex hydrodynamic-sediment-vegetation interface to understand the role of coastal vegetation on wave and flow attenuation which is essential for developing integrated nature-based engineering solutions against coastal and flood defence. The project will take a data-driven approach by combining laboratory experimentation and computational modelling.