| Terms:
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| Beach nourishment:
| soft engineering technique (q.v.) whereby sand eroded from beaches is replaced in order to increase their coastal defence capabilities
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| Coastal cell:
| a length of shoreline over which it is considered that movement of coarse sediment (sands, gravels) is self-contained
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| Coastal defence:
| a generic term which includes both coastal protection against erosion and flood defence
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| Coastal protection:
| defending a coast against erosion by the sea
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| Coastal zone:
| area landward and seaward of the shoreline which is considered to be affected by coastal processes
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| Crest height:
| the maximum height of a flood defence
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| Estuary:
| the tidal mouth of a river
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| Flood defence:
| defending a coastal or river hinterland against flooding
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| Flood plain:
| an area adjacent to a river channel which is flooded during exceptional storms and over which sediment is deposited
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| Gabions:
| openmesh wire baskets filled with rock which act as units in coastal defence structures
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| Global warming:
| the retention by gases of thermal energy, leading to an increase in atmospheric and oceanic temperature. More specifically, a theory assuming that rising global temperatures are a direct result of increases in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption, among other gases. This rise in temperature will cause thermal expansion of oceanic waters, which, coupled with melting of polar ice, will lead to sea level rise
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| Hard engineering:
| the use of rigid structures which ameliorate the effects of flooding or erosion by blocking or obstructing these processes
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| Intertidal zone:
| the area of the shore which lies between high and low tide marks
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| Managed realignment:
| a soft engineering (q.v.) technique which aims to retreat existing flood or coastal defences in order to provide wide areas of river flood plain or upper shoreline, thus reducing risks from flooding or erosion while conferring environmental benefits
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| Maritime local |
administrative authority with responsibility for coastal protection
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| authority | in its area, as defined under the Coast Protection Act 1949
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| Natural processes
| deposition and erosion of sediment (muds, sands, gravels)
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| (coastal and river):
| which allow adjustment of coasts/rivers to changes in their environmental condition
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| Return period:
| return periods relate to the long term average time interval between events of a particular magnitude; thus a 1 in 100 year return period flood has a one per cent chance of occurring in any one year
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| River catchment:
| an area surrounding a river system into which all run-off (q.v.) ultimately feeds
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| Run-off:
| the portion of rainfall falling on a river catchment (q.v.) which feeds into the river system
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| Sea defence:
| sometimes used as an alternative to 'flood defence' when coastal flooding alone is considered
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| Soft engineering:
| amelioration of the effects of flooding or erosion using natural forms of defence, such as flood plains, salt marshes or beaches which adjust to environmental change
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| Storm surge:
| an increase in local sea level, in excess of normal tidal conditions, caused by meteorological conditions
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| Washlands:
| areas of flood plain (q.v.) which store water during storm events, thereby ameliorating the risk of flooding downstream
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| CMP | Coastal Management Plan
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| DETR | Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
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| EA | Environment Agency
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| IDB | Internal Drainage Board
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| LEAP | Local Environment Agency Plan
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| LFDC | Local Flood Defence Committee
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| MAFF | Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
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| PAGN | Project Appraisal Guidance Note
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| PPG | Planning Policy Guidance
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| RFDC | Regional Flood Defence Committee
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| RSG | Revenue Support Grant
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| SCA | Supplementary Credit Approval
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| SMP | Shoreline Management Plan
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| SSA | Standard Spending Assessment
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| WLMP | Water Level Management Plan
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