Eroding machair dunes on the west coast of the
Western Isles
Mott MacDonald's expertise in coastal management contributes to
the longer term sustainability of communities and the environment
in many vulnerable areas in the UK and world-wide.
These areas, vulnerable to coastal erosion, pose a unique range of
challenges and affect not only houses, but roads, rail and other
infrastructure. Population density in the areas is often low, but
the existing infrastructure is vital to the way of life and
sustainability of local populations.
Issues associated with climate change such as rising sea levels and
increasing storminess can add acute pressures within coastal
environments, particularly where remote low-lying locations are
involved.
Sensitivity of the areas in terms of biodiversity can also be a
challenge. For instance, the
Machair in the Westen Isles of
Scotland where we carried out coastal protection works, is not
only a a critical coastal defence, it is one of the rarest habitats
in Europe and home to a number of rare species of flowering plants
and birds.
Some of our key services include:
- Beach management
- Cliff assessments and stabilisation
- Coastal change scenario planning
- Coastal engineering
- Coastal geotechnics
- Geomorphology
- Studies on the impact of climate change
- Wave and sediment modelling
Protection of machair dunes, Scotland
