Erosion

There are many different causes of erosion; including wind, waves, rain, water flows, drought, animal pests and human activities such as converting forestry to pasture. The rate and extent of erosion will also depend on the geology, climate, vegetation and slope. Soil erosion can impact on water quality as it fills rivers and streams with sediment. Erosion becomes a hazard when its effects threaten people’s activities or settlements. ³⁸³⁸  Erosion is a natural process along a coastline,  balanced by accretion whereby sediment is deposited in an area. ³⁸³⁹  Human intervention that alters natural coastal processes through land and water use such as dredging, seawalls or dune removal may increase erosion.

Last updated at 10:51AM on February 8, 2018