Coastal areas can be good locations for industry and business, as ports can be used for importing or exporting goods and industries often locate on large quantities of flat land found in coastal areas. An example of this is Southampton, which is located on the south coast of England just east of the New Forest. The Port of Southampton is important to British Industry as 7% of all UK trade goes through it. Southampton Water has a very deep harbour, which allows container ships to dock safely. Industry located in coastal areas provides employment, for example over 3000 people work at the ExxonMobil oil refinery in Southampton.
However there are a number issues which arise, linked with the environmental impact of the activities which take place
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As a result, they attract a lot of tourism. This tourism provides business for local shops, restaurants and hotels, consequently it has a positive multiplier effect. As a result of the tourism coastal areas attract they are a valuable economic resource, which can provide economic opportunities for LEDCs, particularly in tropical areas. In some places large scale beach developments have been built. This type of development can bring significant economic advantages but can also create conflicts as locals and the environment are threatened. Praia forte and Casta do Sauipe are two examples of holiday resorts located on the Bahian coast in north east Brazil. These developments have improved living standard of the area and created economic opportunities, for example they provide jobs for local people, they have improved infrastructure, they are involved with local projects and they are a source of revenue for the area. Although developments like these claim to ‘work in harmony with the coast and have strong concerns for locals’ there are issues with these developments as they destroy habitat and disrupt the wildlife. They can lead to unsustainable coastal development as infrastructure is built on the shoreline to accommodate tourists. There are also conflicts between tourists and locals, as poor locals may resent wealthy tourists, which can increase crime