Unravelling Spatial-temporal Evolution of Shoreline Changes in Pantai Mek Mas – Pantai Cahaya Bulan, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Kelantan is a state on Peninsular Malaysia’s East Coast famed for its tropical jungle and seaside areas. Kelantan is a “flood-state” that encounters monsoons and tidal currents. Kelantan was devastated by tsunami-like floods in 2014 where it brought changes on its coastal geomorphology. Using a universal Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) technique, this study assesses shoreline changes along Kelantan’s coastline between 2013 (before the catastrophic flood) and 2021. A multipronged approach incorporating DSAS via GIS and satellite imagery were used to explore the coastline changes in Kelantan. This study found that Pantai Mek Mas and Pantai Kundur were the most sedimented and the most eroded area were around Pantai Cahaya Bulan, Kota Bharu respectively. The Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE) and Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) analysis concluded that the coastal area has the highest accretion rate of 177.07m/year and the greatest negative distance via NSM of -171.53m/year. The sedimentation along Pantai Mek Mas may happen due to the transportation of sedimentation via river flows from Kelantan River estuary and the degradation of shoreline along Pantai Cahaya Bulan may cause by the concentration of anthropogenic interventions. In conclusion, can be seen that the Kelantan’s coastal area shoreline does progressively proliferate over the past decade and the community vulnerability on the shoreline changes are at risk which comprehensive mitigation is needed to improve its resilience.