EU Survey Show Rapid Coastal Erosion, Esp. In Eastern Europe

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BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 19, 2004 (ENS) - A fifth of the coastline of the newly enlarged European Union is eroding away, in a few dramatic cases as much as 15 meters (49 feet) a year, according to the most comprehensive study ever done on the problem of human-induced erosion.The report "Living with Coastal Erosion in Europe: Sediment and Space for Sustainability," was commissioned by the European Commission, and made public on Monday.

Coastal erosion has dramatic effects upon the environment and on human activity. It can make houses fall into the sea and destroy roads and other infrastructure. It threatens habitats of wildlife, the safety of people living at the coast, and economic activities such as tourism.

The three countries with the greatest percentages of eroded coastlines are all in the new member states - in Poland 55 percent of the coast is eroded, in Cyprus 37.8 percent, and in Latvia 32.8 percent.

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The effects of coastal erosion differ across Europe. Two thirds of the Belgian coast is composed of sandy beaches and the remaining third is sealed by construction. As a result, one quarter of the Belgian coastline is eroding, which is a high rate in comparison to other countries. Italy also suffers from a high rate of erosion, 23 percent, which is largely due to the rapid urbanisation of its coasts and beaches. On the other hand, the Finnish coastline is hardly affected because half of it is composed of hard rock, which erodes very slowly."

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http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=31831