Sandy beaches are under threat. Free Technical Library News

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Sandy beaches under threat

03.03.2020

Scientists warn: if humanity does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 50% of the world's sandy beaches will go under water or be destroyed by erosion. This will cause huge damage to the economy, primarily tourism, and will also make coastal regions more vulnerable to natural disasters. Australia will be hardest hit.

Due to rising sea levels, the area of beaches is shrinking. If humanity does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming, by 2100 the world will have lost half of its sandy beaches, according to a new study.

The researchers' conclusions are based on an analysis of satellite images taken since 1984. Having identified a trend over three decades, they extrapolated it into the future, as it will be according to two climate scenarios.

The worst-case scenario assumes that greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise, and that melting permafrost will release significant amounts of methane, exacerbating climate change. In this case, by the end of the century, half of the beaches will disappear due to sea level rise and erosion. Australia will be hardest hit, with 15 km of sandy coastline disappearing by the end of the century. It is followed by Canada, Chile and the USA. The top ten also includes Mexico, China, Russia, Argentina, India and Brazil.

According to the second and slightly less severe scenario, greenhouse gas emissions will gradually decrease, but not at such a rapid rate as prescribed in the Paris climate agreement. As a result, average temperatures will rise by about 3°C, and the area of beaches will be reduced by about a third.

The disappearance of beaches will cause serious damage to the economy of entire countries and regions dependent on tourism. In addition, they will become more vulnerable to natural disasters. This is especially worrisome, given that the regions with the most vulnerable coasts have high population densities.

Large-scale engineering structures could be the solution to the problem, but most countries cannot afford them. This means that the best way to prevent the loss of beaches is to stop the planet from warming further as soon as possible.

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