Course Module: Coastal systems and landscapes (Autumn 1) | Lesson Case-study of a contrasting coastline beyond the UK:
Online Lesson | 25 Sep 2026 | Start: 16:00 | DURATION: 2 HOURS

Specification content

3.1.3.6 Case studies
Case study of a contrasting coastal landscape beyond the UK to illustrate and analyse how it presents risks and opportunities for human occupation and development and evaluate human responses of resilience, mitigation and adaptation.

Links with other units

This depends on the case-study chosen. For the Sundarbans case-study suggested below, there are clear links to storm hazards.

3.1.5 Hazards
3.1.5.5 Storm hazards
The nature of tropical storms and their underlying causes. Forms of storm hazard: high winds,
storm surges, coastal flooding, river flooding and landslides. Spatial distribution, magnitude,
frequency, regularity, predictability of hazard events.
Impacts: primary/secondary, environmental, social, economic, political. Short and long-term responses: risk management designed to reduce the impacts of the hazard through preparedness, mitigation, prevention and adaptation.

Learning outcomes
This lesson will help students to understand:

• The locational background to the case-study area.
• Coastal processes and the characteristics of the coastal landforms and landscape.
• The opportunities for human occupation and development.
• The challenges for human occupation and development.
• How humans can respond to the challenges, resilience, mitigation and adaptation.
• The future challenges and opportunities in the case-study area.

Suggested timing
2 hours