Beach width analyses in beach erosion hazard assessment and management at Bamburi beach, Mombasa, Kenya
Keywords:
Littoral environment, hydrodynamics, shoreline developments, s ediment dynamics, geographic information systems.Abstract
Beach erosion was identified as one of the major coastal problems at Bamburi beach shoreline causing
destruction on expensive shoreline developments which threatened the economic and social welfare of
the beach-dependent coastal communities. Beach erosion was manifested in beach morphology
changes and this study adopted beach profile width change rate as a tool in assessing beach erosion
vulnerability and suggested management strategies to alleviate the problem at Bamburi beach. Beach
profile width measurements were taken twice a month during spring low tide and data processed and
analyzed to establish site-specific erosion vulnerability. Potential beach erosion hazard map was
generated using the ArcView GIS 3.2a programme. Beach erosion vulnerability tended to vary from one
site to another along the beach, probably due to the configuration and intensity of shoreline
developments that affected the site-specific hydrodynamics. It was found out that beach sites
characterized by diminishing beach widths required management strategies that retain beach sediment
for relatively longer time with consistent refilling, while areas with accreting beach widths can recycle
the beach sediment to areas that experience erosion. It was recommended that beach erosion
management to adopt strategies that considered site-specific beach width characteristics on the
shoreline.
