Read the passage below carefully:
Along the coastline of Lagos, rapid urban expansion and severe oceanic surges have accelerated coastal erosion, threatening critical infrastructure and human settlements. Historically, municipal authorities relied almost exclusively on heavy engineering interventions, such as concrete sea walls and groynes, to defend shoreline boundaries. However, coastal oceanographers and urban planners now recognize that these hard structures often exacerbate erosion downstream by disrupting natural sediment transport along the Bight of Benin. In response, a shift toward nature-based coastal defense strategies has gained momentum. Integrating mangrove restoration with artificial reef structures provides a dynamic buffer that absorbs wave energy while trapping sediment to naturally stabilize the shore. Although hard engineering projects like the Eko Atlantic sea wall remain prominent tourist landmarks and commercial shields, environmental assessments confirm that bio-shielding using restored mangrove estuaries offers a far more sustainable, cost-effective defense for the broader coastline. Ultimately, restoring coastal ecosystems is essential for achieving long-term climate resilience, as mechanical barriers alone cannot withstand escalating sea-level rise without causing ecological degradation.
Which of the following statements best expresses the central argument of the passage, distinguishing the core message from supporting details?
- Restoring coastal ecosystems provides a more sustainable long-term defense against erosion than relying solely on hard engineering structures.Cevap
- BHard engineering structures such as concrete sea walls disrupt natural sediment transport along the Bight of Benin.
- CNature-based coastal defenses will completely replace all concrete sea walls and eliminate coastal tourism in Lagos.
- DConcrete sea walls and groynes are the most effective long-term solution for protecting Lagos infrastructure against sea-level rise.