Climate change intensifies Research: 50% of beaches will disappear by 2100

Today, researchers warned that 50% of the beaches around the world are likely to disappear by the year 2100 due to the impact of climate change and subsequent rising sea levels. The article published in the journal “Nature Climate Change” indicates that that even if humans significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels that exacerbate global warming, more than one-third of the sandy coastlines around the world may still disappear by then, which would damage the coastal tourism industry in countries big and small. Michalis Vousdoukas, the article’s author and a researcher for the European Commission Joint Research Centre, told AFP, “Apart from tourism (being affected), sandy beaches are often the first line of protection against coastal storms and floods. Without these beaches, the impact of extreme weather is likely to drastically increase. Therefore, we have to be well prepared." Some countries, such as the United States, have already planned to build large-scale protection systems, but most countries are unable to complete or afford such huge projects. As the survey results show, Australia is expected to suffer the most severe impact, and about 15,000 kilometers of white sandy coastline will be washed away during the next 80 years. Right now, sandy beaches account for more than one-third of global coastlines and are often located in densely populated areas. Such countries as Mexico, China, Russia, Argentina, India, and Brazil are considered places that would lose the greatest amount of beaches.

News source：https://news.tvbs.com.tw/world/1285966