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Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise

Sea-level rise is on the forefront of global climate change concerns with an estimated 800 million people at risk of experiencing the devastating social, economic, and environmental impacts of rising seas and storm surges (C40 Cities, n.d.). In particular, coastal towns and cities are under immense...

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Main Author: Sendall, Abigail Victoria
Other Authors: Thompson, Amy
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics 2021
Subjects:
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access_status_str Open Access
author Sendall, Abigail Victoria
author2 Thompson, Amy
author_browse Sendall, Abigail Victoria
Thompson, Amy
author_facet Thompson, Amy
Sendall, Abigail Victoria
author_sort Sendall, Abigail Victoria
collection Thesis
description Sea-level rise is on the forefront of global climate change concerns with an estimated 800 million people at risk of experiencing the devastating social, economic, and environmental impacts of rising seas and storm surges (C40 Cities, n.d.). In particular, coastal towns and cities are under immense pressure as major solutions are needed to ensure the resilience of these spaces. Langebaan, in the Greater Saldanha Region along the Western Cape, South Africa is suffering from the effects of poorly planned linear coastal development that has suffocated the protective dune systems and public beach space. Where, according to the Sea Level Rise and Flood Risk Assessment for a Select Disaster-Prone Area Along the Western Cape Coast Report, Langebaan is specifically mentioned for being highly susceptible to coastal erosion and storm swell damage (Blake & Chimboza, 2011). The town is a fast-growing holiday destination and retirement area, which has led many of the new developments to be privatised, commandeering large portions of the coastal beachfront. The small portion of the beach that is then left for the local communities to enjoy is the most at risk to sea-level rise. It is at this moment where my dissertation lands itself, in the investigation of the pinch-point between human and nature; the human treatment of the coastal 'dunescape', and the ecosystem services of coastal dunes amid a climate crisis. Due to the constrained nature of the coast, sea defences are required to take place offshore, therefore, I propose a land claim in the form of an ecological island. This thesis harnesses the existing ecological systems in and around the area to form a buffer between Langebaan and the sea. The defence system acts to unsuffocate dunes and public space in Langebaan by claiming land for ecological systems and humans. Overall, this thesis illustrates the importance of the envelopment of the human and the natural in reacting to climate change and creates an accessible, sensitive, and meaningful space, revealing the memory of the site.
format Thesis
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:38.580Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
publisherStr School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/35439 Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise Sendall, Abigail Victoria Thompson, Amy Landscape Architecture Sea-level rise is on the forefront of global climate change concerns with an estimated 800 million people at risk of experiencing the devastating social, economic, and environmental impacts of rising seas and storm surges (C40 Cities, n.d.). In particular, coastal towns and cities are under immense pressure as major solutions are needed to ensure the resilience of these spaces. Langebaan, in the Greater Saldanha Region along the Western Cape, South Africa is suffering from the effects of poorly planned linear coastal development that has suffocated the protective dune systems and public beach space. Where, according to the Sea Level Rise and Flood Risk Assessment for a Select Disaster-Prone Area Along the Western Cape Coast Report, Langebaan is specifically mentioned for being highly susceptible to coastal erosion and storm swell damage (Blake & Chimboza, 2011). The town is a fast-growing holiday destination and retirement area, which has led many of the new developments to be privatised, commandeering large portions of the coastal beachfront. The small portion of the beach that is then left for the local communities to enjoy is the most at risk to sea-level rise. It is at this moment where my dissertation lands itself, in the investigation of the pinch-point between human and nature; the human treatment of the coastal 'dunescape', and the ecosystem services of coastal dunes amid a climate crisis. Due to the constrained nature of the coast, sea defences are required to take place offshore, therefore, I propose a land claim in the form of an ecological island. This thesis harnesses the existing ecological systems in and around the area to form a buffer between Langebaan and the sea. The defence system acts to unsuffocate dunes and public space in Langebaan by claiming land for ecological systems and humans. Overall, this thesis illustrates the importance of the envelopment of the human and the natural in reacting to climate change and creates an accessible, sensitive, and meaningful space, revealing the memory of the site. 2021-12-09T13:35:17Z 2021-12-09T13:35:17Z 2021 2021-12-09T10:45:34Z Master Thesis Masters MLA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/35439 eng application/pdf School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
spellingShingle Landscape Architecture
Sendall, Abigail Victoria
Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise
title_full Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise
title_fullStr Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise
title_full_unstemmed Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise
title_short Sea + Survival: choreographing dune systems to defend against sea-level rise
title_sort sea survival choreographing dune systems to defend against sea level rise
topic Landscape Architecture
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/35439
work_keys_str_mv AT sendallabigailvictoria seasurvivalchoreographingdunesystemstodefendagainstsealevelrise