Beaches around the world are undergoing rapid erosion due to a combination of rising sea levels driven by climate change and intensive urban development in coastal areas. The warning comes from marine scientist Omar Defeo of Uruguay’s Universidad de la República, as reported by EurekAlert.
According to researchers, this process harms beach biodiversity, threatens fishing and tourism, and leaves coastal cities more exposed to marine flooding.
Up to half of all beaches may vanish
Speaking at a scientific symposium in Montevideo, Defeo stated:
“Almost half of all beaches will disappear by the end of the century… Urbanisation is destroying dune systems that naturally protect the coast.”
He explained that coastal ecosystems consist of three interconnected zones:
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dunes — the natural storm barrier
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the beach surface — exposed at low tide
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the swash zone — where waves deposit sand back onto the beach
When any one of these zones is degraded, the entire system collapses.
Urbanisation and visitor pressure are major drivers
A study of 30 beaches in São Paulo state (Brazil) showed:
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visitor numbers are the strongest factor decreasing biodiversity
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buildings constructed directly on sand disrupt natural sediment movement
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mechanical beach cleaning significantly reduces biomass
Another global study found that 20% of 315 analysed beaches show severe or extreme erosion rates.