SEA-LEVEL CHANGES AND THE THREAT OF COASTAL INUNDATION

Most of the coastal lowlands of Great Britain are already under threat of inundation. It is difficult to define precisely the exact areas of each coastal lowland under threat from any specific sea-level rise scenario but there are certain characteristics which illustrate the range of likely effects. Most coastal lowlands exist because of net sediment accretion during the last 10 000 years, but the rate of sea-level rise predicted during the next century is greater than that experienced for any long-term average during the last 7000 years. Analysis of Holocene sea level and palaeoenvironmental changes in the coastal lowlands gives an indication of possible future coastline changes as a result of increased rates of sea-level rise. Major movements of coastal sedimentary environments were cor mon prior to, human interference. Coastal management involves a wide range of activities which will be affected to different degrees by enhanced sea-level rise.