Geography

• Dawlish Warren


  Local Nature Reserve in 1978, became National in 2000
• Dawlish Warren


  • Unique Space with birds and flowering plants
  • Fishing industry
  • Tourism of 480,000/yr with max of 20000/day
  • Has lots of public transport such as a National Rail Line
  • Some residential areas and businesses
  • Recreational activities such as windsurfing
• Changes to Dawlish Warren

  1. Was two sand spits but connected due to erosion

  2. Decline in S and E, increase in N
• Sea Defences at Dawlish Warren

  • Riprap and rock armour
  • Groynes and gabions (gabions were removed)
  • Sand renourishment
• Dawlish Warren Beach management spent £14M to protect 2400 properties, and have educated local people
• Flooding occurs in other places down the coastlines
• Compensatory habitats needed because coastal squeeze occurs as it cannot grow
• Residents may be forced to adapt or relocate
• River Dee:

  Importance:

  1. Source at 460m high in Snowdonia
  2. Two reservoirs Llyn Celyn and Llyn Brenig, total capacity around 60M metres cubed
  3. Embankments in the middle course for farmland and protecting properties
  4. Channelisation between 1972-6 for 8 miles for navigation purposes
• Hurricane Sandy lasted until


  22nd - 31st October 2012
• Hurricane Sandy


  • Category 1 hurricane at 185km/h
  • Caused several storm surges
• Precautionary response

  1. Hurricane path predetermined so some precautionary response occurred

  2. Rescue aid took hours due to road blockages
• Response to Hurricane Sandy

  • Multiple fundraisers occurred
  • Support from charities
  • Awareness spread through social media
  • Satellite imagery used to find most deprived areas
• Typhoon Haiyan lasted for 5 days


  3rd Nov 2013 - 8th Nov 2013
• Typhoon Haiyan

  • Category 5 hurricane at 315 km/h
• Course of Typhoon Haiyan


  1. Path of typhoon unknown

  2. No prior evacuations
• Response to Typhoon Haiyan


  1. Response time took days

  2. Numerous islands hard to reach and isolated due to debris

  3. Tacloban City focused instead of more direct location
• WHO announced critical relief operations with significant aid coming from foreign countries
• Typhoon Haiyan:

  1. >6000 Dead, 4.1 MILLION HOMELESS
  2. 2B in damages
  3. 900,000 litres of oil spilled
  4. salt water intrusion contaminating supplies
• Differences between Typhoon Haiyan and Hurricane Sandy:

  1. Developed vs Developing countries
  2. 65B vs 2B in damages
  3. Path predetermined vs no path known
  4. Cat 1 vs Cat 5
  5. Aid coming from within the country via fundraisers, most aid coming foreginly and by the WHO
• California Drought 2012:

  Causes:

  1. high pressure area so little rain
  2. High lifestyle, so over-usage of water
  3. Lower than normal rainfall
  4. Overused R. Colorado
  5. Wastage of water

  Effects:

  1. numerous wildfires, 170M between 2012-16
  2. Numerous species became endangered
  3. Less water, less agriculture so higher food prices and worse economy
  4. Restricted water usage

  Responses:

  1. US Board of Reclamation and State Water RCB limited usage of water and implemented minimum backup supplies and salinary control
• Ethiopia 1983

  1. two periods of rain: shorter became later and longer became more unpredictable
  2. Warmer indian oceans lead to more evaporation of water

  Effects:

  1. Water became even scarcer, so woman and children had to go long distances to fetch water limiting education
  2. Rural farmers hurt most as unable to tend animals or grow crops
  3. 1.2 million dead

  Response:

  1. Majority of response from NGOs such as OXFAM and UNICEF
  2. new farming techniques and crop varieties
  3. More education on newer farming techniques
• Madagascar Rainforest

  Issues

  1. Overpopulation which lead to further exploitation of rainforest for more food (4M to 20.7M)
  2. Usage of tavy which used up resources faster and is unsustainable
  3. High levels of illegal logging and corruption due to poor people being inherently desperate for money

  Response:

  1. Association Mitsinjo formed the Analamazoatra Reserve to protect a part of the rainforest
  2. Ecotourism: brings in 3000/yr and helps promote sustainable growth
  3. 1M new trees and 150 species added
  4. Education into how to protect the environment and more sustainable methods of farming
• New Forest


  • National Forest
  • Lots of timber
  • Unique animals
  • Ancient woodland
  • Recreational activities
• Home to 120,000 people
• Produces 50,000 tonnes of timber per year
• Has 20M visitors per year
• Has 100 miles of cycle tracks
• Issues in the New Forest

  • Larger growth of conifers reducing biodiversity
  • Intrusive animals damaging local environments
  • Majority of land privately owned and unmanaged
  • More building of man-made structures which are an eye sore
• Sustainable Development in the New Forest

  1. Forest Marquee protecting it and certifies sustainable timber

  2. Limiting usage of pesticides to prevent eutrophication

  3. Minimal activity between April - August to prevent disruption of nesting birds