Half of world's beaches at risk due to climate change, according to a new study published on Nature Climate Change.
“What we find is that by the end of the century around half of the beaches in the world will experience erosion that is more than 100 meters,” said Michalis Vousdoukas, the study's lead author. “It’s likely that they will be lost.”
The study, titled "Sandy coastlines under threat of erosion," revealed that some countries would be more affected than others.
For example, in Gambia and Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, 60% of their beaches could disappear.
A similar prediction is in place for Iraq, Pakistan, the island of Jersey in the English Channel and the Pacific island of Palau.
Meanwhile, in terms of total beach coastline lost, over 12,000 kilometers of beaches in Australia are at risk. U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, Iran, Argentina and Chile could also lose thousands of kilometers of beach.
The findings were based on data gathered from tracking the way beaches have changed over the past 30 years using satellite images.
Researchers at the European Union’s Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, simulated how global warming could transform beaches in the future.
“The projected shoreline changes will substantially impact the shape of the world’s coastline,” more than a third of which is sandy beach, the authors wrote.
Beaches have become a critical component of tourism, recreation, and wildlife. They also protect coastal communities from waves and storms.
However, human activities such as seashore construction and inland dams have damaged many coastal areas and beaches. Such operations can lessen the amount of silt flowing into oceans.
“There are many assumptions and generalizations that could change the outcome of the analysis both qualitatively and quantitatively,” said Andres Payo, an expert on coastal hazards and resilience at the British Geological Survey and was not involved in the study.
