Wind and tide
The natural action of wind and tide causes landslides and erodes soft cliffs, low-lying land, sand dunes and salt-marshes. Other areas become silted up as new land is formed.

In some instances, the house 'with a sea view' is perched on a cliff where even massive sea defences, which interfere with natural dynamic processes, are unsustainable in protecting against erosion.

Sea-level rises
Many coastal lands are also vulnerable to sea-level rises, caused by climatic warming, which increase the likelihood of storms and erosive swells. Rates of erosion will, almost certainly, increase in some areas, for example on the soft cliffs of Suffolk.

Protecting our coast
Changing weather conditions, tides and natural processes such as erosion and deposition, all contribute to the rich and diverse ecosystems found on the coast.

The National Trust makes a major contribution to the protection of coastal landscapes that have been formed by natural processes, but argues that in some areas the most realistic option is 'managed realignment': retreating inland and letting natural erosion take place.