Kovalam

A Failed Artificial Surfing Reef

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Description

Kovalam Reef, an artificial reef in India, temporarily created better surf conditions but started to fall apart weeks after installation. The reef is now completely decimated and fails to have a positive affect on surf conditions.

Background

The southern tip of India can get hammered by monsoon swells. To counter the coastal erosion resulting from the storms, the Indian government relies heavily on traditional methods including sea walls. The Kerala coastline, home to Kovalam, has sea walls protecting 66% of its shoreline according to ASR. Ltd. Some research shows that seawalls cause more harm than good, so the Indian government wanted to try something new to protect the eroding south west coast.

Additionally, the Indian government set aside funds for tsunami recovery and protection. The Tsunami Rehabilitation Project by the Planning Commission, Government of India, funded the Kovalam reef.

Design and Construction

Like many other artificial reefs, the primary purpose of the Kovalam reef was coastal protection. The government needed to stabilize Lighthouse Beach in Kovalam. Improving surfing conditions and ecology were secondary concerns.

ASR Ltd., the controversial failed company behind many multi-purpose reef projects, lead design and construction effort for the reef at Kovalam. Chris Jensen and Nick Behunin lead the project.

The design of the reef called for the use of geo-textile bags. The bags measured 30m in length. As swells approached from the south and wrapped around the lighthouse point, they would encounter the reef forming a 100m left. The initial proposal for called for 3000m³ of geo-textile bags but ASR increased the volume to 4800m³ before completing construction.

ASR started construction in December of 2009 and completed February 2010. The project cost a total of 75m Rupee ($1.1M USD).

Results

Locals, scientists, surfers and government officials initially hailed the Kovalam reef as a success. The shoreline response was monitored over the course of a year via weekly photographs. According to Mead and Borrero (2011) the data suggests that the beach remained wider in both the monsoon and non-monsoon seasons after the reef was installed.

The reef also temporarily improved surfing conditions. Waves that would previously close out were shaped by the reef into lefts that provided 7-10 second rides. The shape of the wave was fun and open faced, good for turns. The wave also offered occasional head dip opportunity.

Kerala Tourism board claimed it was success, at first, as well.

Kovalam Artificial Reef Widening — Wider beach.

Kovalam Artificial Reef Surfing Left Barrel — Wider beach.

Unfortunately, the reef suffered a fate similar to other reefs constructed from geo-textile containers. Less than 2 weeks after the inauguration of the reef, sheathes of torn geo-textile containers started washing up on shore.

Local fishermen expressed concern that their fishing efforts were yielding damaged portions of the artificial reef rather than more fish.

The containers were damaged and lost their sand fill which caused them to deflate.

Furthermore, the remaining containers sank. According to Jelle Rigole, founder of the local surf club, “In the beginning, it was great. But after the first monsoon season, some of the bags that composed the reef came loose. The reef sank deeper into the sand so most of the waves just roll over the reef now without even breaking. “

As the surfing improvements and coastal protection disappeared over 2010 and early 2011, the coastal communities and civil society of Kerala demanded a judicial and scientific enquiry and social audit.

The Deccan Chronicle reported on tax laws based on a foreign company (ASR Ltd.) providing service without having a representative of office in India. In this case, the recipient of the service is responsible for paying the tax. The recipient in this case was the Harbor Engineering Department (HED). As of 2015, HED still owed taxes, penalties and more according to the Deccan Chronicle.

Further research into the project found that no Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Fisheries Impact Assessment were required.

According to “India: Borrowing False Solutions” (2012) the reef failed to attract new surfing tourists as well.

In the end, the Kovalam reef provided a few good waves and some temporary coastal protection, but cost more than $1m USD and a heap of confidence in humans’ ability to create artificial reefs.

Sources: CounterCurrents.org, ASR Ltd., Multipurpose Reefs-A decade of applications (Mead, Borrero, 2011)