Sacrifice half of coast to protect remainder from potential rising sea levels

Sacrifice half of coast to protect remainder from potential rising sea levels

Climate change could cause the North Sea to rise by a metre between now and 2100, meaning drastic decisions must be made to protect the environment. One option would be to allow the municipalities to the west of Ostend to flood. This is one of the four options presented in the "Metropolitaan Kustlandschap 2100" report by Flemish authorities, and would mean La Panne, Coxyde, Furnes, Nieuport et Middelkerke would all be submerged. The report was commissioned to study the effects of, and to suggest measures to deal with, rising sea levels on the coast.

Joachim Declerck is an architect and one of the people responsible for compiling the report. He points out that the above scenario is the most extreme of the four. "In other options la Panne and Nieuport are instead protected from the rising sea levels by breakwaters and a dyke system", he said.

(Source: Belga)



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