Beach Erosion: Nipah Bay heading for destruction
By Rosli Mansor
The phenomenon of erosion affecting the coastal geomorphology of Nipah Bay and Coral Beach is predicted to affect the tourism industry in the next 10 years if it is not curbed.
Aware of the risk, Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, PETRONAS University of Technology (UTP), Dr. Teh Hee Min said the Project to Create a Sustainable Coastal Environment of Nipah Bay UTP, is one of the initiatives to deal with the worsening erosion problem.
“The condition of the sandy beaches in these two tourist attraction areas have been deteriorating since 2017 and have been affecting residents, traders and tourism operators.
“Usually, the erosion that occurs is caused by two main factors, either physical or natural factors and human activities.
“Natural factors cannot be avoided because they interact with each other on the coast such as waves, currents, wind and tides that affect the formation of the landscape on the coast.
“Meanwhile, the factors of human activities that build settlements, development, infrastructure and so on without control also contribute to coastal erosion,” he said during a visit with the media at Teluk Nipah Beach, recently.
The Project to Create a Sustainable Coastal Environment of Nipah Bay also got the cooperation of the Manjung Municipal Council (MPM) and the Manjung Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS).
Through the research that has been carried out, Dr. Teh Hee Min found that the erosion along the coast has been happening since 1990. However, now, the erosion of the coast has reached three metres every year.
Among the proactive steps in solving the beach erosion issue is the construction of a 50 metre long rock revetment at Coral Beach which was implemented by the Manjung District Irrigation and Drainage Department.
According to Teh Hee Min, the construction of the stone protection layer is not a holistic solution but it is a preventive measure and reduces coastal erosion from continuing.
“The initiatives that have been done are only for a short period of time and the next action should be taken immediately. In addition, the awareness of all parties is also very important in dealing with this issue.
“Development in coastal areas that is not sustainable not only affects the environment but also affects the local community.
“Among the human activities that cause erosion to become more serious is the development of tourism such as the construction of resorts, hotels, bridges and so on,” he said.
A beach recreation officer (beachboy) Mohd Nor Azahari Ahmad Baddri, 40, when interviewed said the erosion incident at Coral Beach started four years ago.
“This erosion incident is becoming more and more worrying where the coastline is being destroyed while endangering the safety of all parties.
“The construction of this stone protection layer has been done several times but erosion still occurs due to the continuous waves. The beauty of Coral Island is also getting worse.
“Traders here build stores to store various water sports equipment. If the local authorities fail to deal with this problem well and effectively, it is not impossible that our store will also collapse and be washed away by the waves.
“We expect the authorities to relocate the traders to a safer area and we are ready if instructed to move at any time,” he said.
