Coastal Erosion

Coastal erosion is the gradual destruction of land, usually beaches and cliffs, by the sea. Not only is it important to protect plants and animals but protecting the seaside also has an economic advantage because so many people like to spend their holidays on the beach -- such as here in Soppot, Poland.

One-fifth of the EU's coastline is severely affected by erosion. According to the European Commission, coastlines are retreating by between half a meter to two meters (1.5 to 6.5 feet) per year and in extreme cases up to 15 meters per year. This picture shows a cliff collapsing in Sassnitz on the Baltic island of Rügen in northern Germany.

Natural erosion, development and the building of defenses to protect beaches have all contributed to what's known as coastal squeeze. This occurs in low-lying, inter-tidal areas. Nature would normally adjust to changes in sea level due to storms or tides, but it is unable adapt to man-made inflexible barriers, such as roads, dykes or industry. Therefore building too close to the shoreline can result in a loss of beach and most of its natural functions and ecosystems.

The most common response to erosion has historically been "hard" engineering solutions, such as building breakwaters or other protective structures. While such structures may reduce erosion in the area nearby, they can also interfere with natural sand movements, thus causing further erosion down the coast. People in Zelenogradsk, Russia, enjoy the beach protected by breakwaters.

Structures such as breakwaters have also resulted in the creation of new, artificial coastal lands, which have then been further developed. Rising sea level and unpredictable climate conditions, such as more frequent storms, mean that coastal erosion is likely to affect much of Europe's coastline in the future. Moving more and more sand to replenish beaches is common across Europe.

Humans have historically favored settlement close to the coast. Since such areas were subject to the forces of nature since Roman times, people have been constructing coastal defenses to protect 'new lands' created during periods of low sea levels. While some measures, such as these during winter on Laboe beach, Germany, might reduce the effects of erosion, they do not solve the problem in the long term.

The Gulf of Riga stretches almost 240 kilometers (149 miles) with many rivers and creeks exiting into the gulf and a variety of beaches, sand dunes, marshes and lagoons. Seven harbors have been established along the gulf, including the harbor in Riga. Natural changes, such as an increase in storms and water discharge into the gulf from the rivers combined with human impacts have resulted in a significant rise in sea level in the gulf. As a result of this rise there have been changes in the redistribution of sediment along the shore which means a recession in sandy beaches (as shown here in Jurmala) and sand dunes. The dredging of the Lielupe river bed and the damming of the Daugava in the 1930s have also contributed to a reduction in the amount of sand landing on beaches close to Riga and Jurmala. Up to 3 million euros ($4.4 million) in capital are at direct risk of coastal erosion in Riga, according to European Commission studies. Latvian authorities have been planting willows and grass on the fore dunes to try to slow down the erosion.

Germany's northern-most point, the Island of Sylt is well-known for the distinct shape of its shoreline. The island was once part of the mainland, and is still shrinking owing to erosion by the North Sea. Erosion is common for most islands and shorelines in the region, which are slowly but constantly changing. Sylt's entire west coast has been severely eroding for a long time due to exposure to frequent heavy storm surges from the west. The island's exposure to north-westerly and south-westerly winds causes the island to bend as an arc and to grow both northward and southwards. In 2002 erosion devoured 15 meters (49 feet) of Sylt's southern beaches. Therefore significant loss of land is expected over the next decades, though beach nourishment schemes have been successful in reducing the problem.

The United Kingdom is the EU country with the greatest length of coastline impacted by coastal erosion -- not surprising given it's made up of islands. Likewise for Greece, which is second. Italy has the third longest amount of coastline effected, followed by Germany. (EUROSION report 2001)

Essex is the region in England most at risk of flooding. The region's exposure to coastal erosion combined with the continual rising sea levels relative to the land make its estuaries at high risk of flooding. The depletion of salt marshes due to sea level rise further exacerbates the problem because salt marshes protect the land by absorbing wave energy during storms. Over the past 20 years the policy solutions to this problem have moved away from a "protect at all costs" idea to policies that accept that some land will be lost to the sea.

The Bay of Giardini Naxos located between Messina and Catania in Sicily, Italy, is a typical example of tourism development in the Mediterranean. During the summer up to 20,000 people visit the area -- more than twice the town's local population. In fact the costal urbanization growth rate on the island of Sicily of about 30 percent between 1975-1990 is amongst the highest in Europe. A series of man-made constructions along the coast and on the nearby rivers have aggravated the bay’s natural erosion processes. Italian authorities have therefore decided to begin removal of these constructions, such as breakwaters, to help restore the bay's natural conditions.

The Bay of Aveiro is one of the most extensive wetlands in Portugal. Formed by the deposit of sediments from the Agueda, Certima and Vouga Rivers, the bay is also a strategic transport intersection. However, more than the industrial pollution caused by harbor activities, coastal erosion is the main, immediate threat to the area. While harbor activities have modified the movement of sediment, they are not the only cause of the erosion of up to six meters per year of the land to the south of Aveiro. Damaged rivers and a one-millimeter (0.04-inch) rise in sea levels per year also contribute to the erosion.

Sustainable coastal developments and conservation of natural habitats are important goals for European countries. Conserving undeveloped beachside areas is also important. In Swinoujscie, Poland, boardwalks allow people to visit the beach without having an impact on the natural sand movements.

According to the European Commission's EUROSION report unless policies are changed erosion is likely to have a large impact on the European coastline over the next 50 years. The expected trends are sediment loss as a result of damming and mining, a loss of natural coastal habitats due to urbanization, flooding and an accelerated sea-level rise. All of these problems will also impact on the lives of Europe's people and on its resources.