Whereas structures can disrupt natural beach morphology processes, sediment-based protection replenishes beaches. These have lower impact on adjacent beaches and coastal ecology and lower costs for construction and maintenance compared to hard structures. Another form of 'soft' protection involves establishing, rehabilitating and preserving coastal ecosystems, like marshes, mangroves, seagrass, coral reefs and dunes, providing 'soft' protection against storm surges, reducing coastal erosion and offering additional benefits including food, materials and carbon sequestration. However, these are less effective where there is limited space in the coastal zone, limited sediment supply and under higher rates of SLR.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report