People are also an agent that shapes
the coasts through the commercial activities they engage in. There are three types of
commercial development undertaken by human in coastal areas, namely port development,
growth of tourism and land reclamation.
Port development
Coasts that are sheltered from strong winds and
have deep waters for ships to anchor are good locations for development into ports. Some
of the ports that located along strategic trade routes, and thus are accessible by
different sea routes, become busy international trading ports.
Examples of such ports include the port of
Singapore and the ports of Yokohama and Kobe in Japan.
Growth of tourism
Coasts play host to a variety of recreational
activities, so they make good tourist attractions.
 Examples of the recreational activities
include swimming, canoeing, windsurfing, parasailing, water skiing, snorkelling, boating,
scuba diving, and fishing.
Surfing and sailing along East Coast,
Singapore
Other than recreational activities, coasts also
attract tourists with features like emerald seas, crystal clear water, long stretches of
sandy beaches and beautiful coral reefs.
Beach resorts and hotels are built to provide
accommodation facilities for the tourists who go there for the recreational activities or
simply relaxation.
Another reason why coastal areas are popular
tourist destinations is the presence of marine features such as headlands, caves, arches,
stacks and cliffs.
On the right is a marine feature
in Phang Nga Bay, Phuket of Thailand. It is a "must stop" for tourists going to
Phuket.
Land reclamation
In areas where there is shortage of land, land is
reclaimed from the coastal areas to create additional land space for various uses. Land
reclamation is carried out in the shallower parts of the sea using various techniques. |
