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A two-dimensional numerical model has been developed to study wave breaking on a sloping beach. The basic elements of numerical model are Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations that describe the mean flow motion of a turbulent flow a k turbulence closure model that describes the turbulent transport and dissipation process an efficient technique (VOF- Volume Of Fluid method) for tracking the free surface motion and a new scheme developed by Lin and Liu (1999) for wave generation. Shoaling, breaking and overturning of solitary wave on a slope of 1/16 have been studied with the main emphasis on turbulence characteristics. Turbulence characteristics i.e., turbulence kinetic energy, k turbulence dissipation rate, turbulence production, pr turbulence eddy viscosity, vt and their spatial distribution during the breaking process have been discussed in great details. Spatial distribution of turbulence characteristics and the order of magnitude have been found to be in agreement with existing experimental and numerical studies. The main characteristic of plunging breaking waves, the shoreward advective transport of turbulence, has also been investigated and numerically proved.