ENVMGT 748 Coastal Management - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Explores the physical, social and policy dimensions of coastal management. The nature of coastal environments is a function of physical coastal dynamics, the history of human occupation and utilisation of the coast, and governmental decision making. Discusses shifts in management approaches in the coastal environment, using national and international examples to highlight key coastal management issues.

Course Overview

This course critically explores the physical, social and policy dimensions of coastal management. The coast is the most dynamic landform on earth and global population densities are significantly higher in coastal areas than in non-coastal areas. This combination of dynamic human and physical landscapes, together with uncertainties around future changes in sea level, climate, and socio-economic conditions, poses unique management challenges. The course recognizes that the nature of coastal environments is a function of physical coastal dynamics, the history of human occupation and utilization of the coast, and governmental decision-making. The continued development pressures and competition for coastal space and resources require locally relevant, informed, and implementable management responses. We discuss shifts in management approaches in the coastal environment and consider the relevance of participatory approaches in achieving informed local outcomes. National and international examples are used, from a range of countries, to highlight key coastal management issues.

A major theme in this course is aware of the lack of rigorous research that has been undertaken to identify/explore the physical, social and economic vulnerability of the New Zealand coast to coastal hazards. As a coastal nation, New Zealand’s population, major infrastructure, and economic activities are located on the coast. Paradoxically, New Zealand has devoted little effort to establish its vulnerability to natural coastal hazards (sea-level change, storms, flooding, and erosion), nor assessed the wider impacts of this vulnerability on society. Over the next century, sea-level rise, climatic variability, and increasing human occupation and exploitation of the coast (and associated uncertainty) will change the nature of coastal risk and increase the vulnerability of coastal communities. This represents a profound challenge for coastal communities and managers. We explore a range of coastal hazard adaptation approaches to deal with changing coastal hazard risk, from engineered coastal management options, such as sea walls, to managed retreat from the coastal margin.

The skills developed in this course are particularly useful for those wishing to have a career involving any aspect of environmental management, coastal/marine science, or coastal engineering.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Explain the shifts in policy and management frameworks within which decision-making about coastal management occurs (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
Be able to critically explore the meaning and perceptions of vulnerability in the context of coastal settlements (Capability 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Demonstrate ability to evaluate how coastal hazard risk varies spatially as a consequence of physical and social processes and governmental decision-making (Capability 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Demonstrate an understanding of the suite of approaches to managing coastal hazard risk and critically consider the variable impacts of these approaches (Capability 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
Identify and describe a range of natural hazards impacting coastal communities and explain the impact of sea-level rise on coastal hazard risk. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Assignments	60%	Group & Individual Coursework
Final Exam	40%	Individual Examination
2 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4	5
Assignments
Final Exam

Key Topics

Impacts of sea-level rise on coastal hazards
Coastal management
New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement and Regional Coastal Plans
Mātauranga Māori in coastal management
Coastal management in practice
Coastal hazard vulnerability and risk management in NZ and the Pacific
Managing retreat from the coastal margin
Soft and hard engineering responses to coastal hazard, including nature-based
Dynamic approaches to coastal management

Special Requirements

A half-day field trip to Orewa Beach accompanies this course. Attendance on the field trip is expected to maximize the benefit of the course. Please get in touch with the course coordinator if you cannot attend.

Tuākana

As part of the University-wide Tuākana community, The School of Environment Tuākana Programme aims to provide a welcoming learning environment for and enhance the success of, all of our Māori and Pacific students. We are led by the principles of tautoko (support) and whanaungatanga (connection) and hope you find a home here at the School. Students who have identified as Māori and/or Pacific will receive an invitation to our online portal introducing the Programme, the resources we have available, and how you can get involved.Māori and Pacific's students are encouraged to contact Sonia Fonua (s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz) for information about the Tuākana programme.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 20 hours of lectures, a 2-hour tutorial, 5 hours on a field trip, and 123 hours of reading and thinking about the content and working on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled classes to complete components of the course. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Reading material relevant to each lecture can be found on Canvas and it is expected that students will read and understand this additional material. Copies of the lecture slides will be made available on Canvas.

Health & Safety

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Student Feedback

During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

This course includes guest lecturers from coastal practitioners. Student feedback is consistently positive about these guest lectures.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	People and Place
Capability 2:	Sustainability
Capability 3:	Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4:	Critical Thinking
Capability 5:	Solution Seeking
Capability 6:	Communication
Capability 7:	Collaboration
Capability 8:	Ethics and Professionalism

ENVMGT 748 : Coastal Management

Science

2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)