The Untold Story of a Coast

It is the first and the only book of its kind about the coast. It is intended to change the way the world understands the coast. The coast is already in a mess, world over. That is an ample proof that it has not been correctly understood yet. Despite more than a century of scientific scrutiny, coast has remained an enigma, unknown, largely because of the practical difficulties in studying it. Much of today's coastal knowledge has stemmed from visual estimations, actually optical illusions, and from studies on hydraulic models, the models of the coast complete with water, with simulated waves or tides. The models, despite being hugely popular with the experts, do not correctly replicate the coastal processes. But they do not even think so, even though, quite consistently, ports and naval bases designed after elaborate field and laboratory studies have been silting up, besides adversely affecting the coast in their vicinity. Even the coastal and inland projects, like coastal roads and dams, have adversely affected the coast. Coastal erosion is therefore rampant, world over. The ominous aspect is, once it sets in, coastal erosion is almost unstoppable. Seawalls and groynes, the most common remedies, hardly work. But why, the book will answer. Siltation in ports, on the other hand, needs environmentally disastrous maintenance dredging, perennially. This book not only makes clear the working of the coast, but also explains in simple everyday language how the nature's elements - winds and waves, tides and tidal stream and rains and runoff - drive the coastal processes. Even though everyone knows that winds make waves at sea, it has not yet been established how that really happens. This book solves that longstanding puzzle. In addition, it dispels many wave and wind myths that masquerade as scientific theories. Many popular theories in coastal science are only myths. However, the real science of the coast is simple, so simple that one need not be a scientist to know the coast. This book is therefore meant for anyone, who enjoys his or her time on the coast. It aims to create a new awareness about the coast. Only a story can change the prevalent mindset. So, this is a story-The Untold Story of a Coast. It is not a textbook on coastal science. Nevertheless, it will make it quite necessary to revise the textbooks on coastal science and engineering, including oceanography and meteorology. Though the story deals mainly with the happenings on the Indian Coast, which also happens to be one of the most dynamic coasts in the world, the inferences are valid for any coast in the world. Every coast in the world works the same way, only the degree of dynamism varies depending on the intensity of nature's elements at work on the coast. This book is meant not merely to arouse academic interest in the coast, but has a larger purpose. Coast happens to be the most populous region in the world, with more than half the world's population being coast dependent, for livelihood and residence. It is also the most favoured holiday and picnic destination. Besides, in these recent times, it has been attracting huge investments for infrastructure projects, which are, more often than not, cleared with scant regard to the real coastal processes. Impact on the coast will be unmistakably disastrous. Many may soon be rendered homeless, and many more with no place for sun, sand and sea. This book hopes to make it possible to protect and preserve the coast for the coming generations. They deserve good sandy beaches, not seawalls and groynes! It also will make it possible to design coast-friendly projects. Read it. Explore the coast. You too may stumble on the truth that you can believe. All you need to be is curious. Incidentally, curiosity is the mother of science! I hope this book will arouse your curiosity, better still, the child in you to further explore the marvel called coast. There is still lot more to learn about it.