"UK on course to lose a quarter of its sandy coast because of human-driven erosion"

"Almost half of the world’s sandy beaches will have retreated significantly by the end of the century as a result of climate-driven coastal flooding and human interference, according to new research.

The sand erosion will endanger wildlife and could inflict a heavy toll on coastal settlements that will no longer have buffer zones to protect them from rising sea levels and storm surges. In addition, measures by governments to mitigate against the damage are predicted to become increasingly expensive and in some cases unsustainable.

In 30 years, erosion will have destroyed 36,097km (22,430 miles) or 13.6% of sandy coastlines identified from satellite images by scientists for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European commission. They predict the situation will worsen in the second half of the century, washing away a further 95,061km or 25.7% of Earth’s beaches."

Stefano Valentino reports for the Guardian March 2, 2020. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Half the World’s Sandy Beaches May Disappear by Century’s End, Climate Study Says" (InsideClimate News) [3]