Rising sea levels & development pose existential threat to coastlines: study

Beaches and sand dunes around the world are under threat due to rising sea levels and increasing construction. This means they face new challenges every day, according to the study published in Nature.

Nowadays, you only need to walk 390 meters from a beach to reach a road or building. This might be convenient for a short visit, but the truth is that this development near the coasts is harmful to the environment.

Rising sea levels caused by climate change are a threat to our safety. Shrinking coastlines also affect our drinking water supply and the variety of life in these areas.

Beach lines and sand dunes are very important. They protect us from floods, help supply clean water, and are home to many different animals and plants. Their natural beauty also attracts many people.

Researchers say that if we leave enough space for beaches and dunes, they can do their important jobs better. But human development and rising sea levels are taking over these areas, which threatens the survival of humans and many other creatures.

Is human development ambition causing self-destruction?

Scientists have used past research and Open Street Map to see how much beaches and dunes are shrinking worldwide. They tried to measure the distance from these beaches to the nearest road or building. They looked at every kilometer of all the sandy beaches in the world.

The study, published in Nature Communications, found that buildings and roads are usually very close to the sea. On average, they’re only 390 meters from the beach. In crowded places like the Netherlands, this distance is even less - 210 meters or closer. In France, it’s only 30 meters on average.

In Europe, human-made structures are on average only 130 meters from beaches and dunes. Oceania has the least pressure on its beaches, with an average distance of 2.8 kilometers from structures.

The study also found that if this continues, the pressure on these coasts will increase in the future. Climate change will add to this. It’s feared that rising sea levels will bring human structures even closer to the oceans.

Naturally, beaches and dunes move away from the sea towards land as water levels rise, but human structures are stopping them from doing this. Scientists think that up to 30 percent of beaches and dunes could disappear or be underwater by the end of the century because of this.

But the study also gives some hope. Researchers found that when beaches and dunes are protected, buildings and roads are four times further away than in non-protected areas.

However, right now only 16 percent of the world’s sandy beaches are protected. So, it’s very important to protect these dunes and beaches for the safety of the environment and people.

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