Shrinking Shores

Living on a flat, low-lying island on England’s south coast,?I have?witnessed first-hand the devastation to our beaches and sea?defences?after a ferocious storm has battered the port city.?As?Britain’s most populated isle, the local authority?of Portsea Island?is leading the?UK’s?largest coastal defence project, worth more than ￡100?million.?It will stretch for 4.5 kilometres and help protect over 10,000 homes and 700 businesses from?possible?flooding.??

This money is being?invested?for good reason. There is?a?growing?knowledge-base?within?the international?scientific?community?who are publishing sea level rise?predictions?with increasing confidence.?There is no future scenario where the water?is not?rising.?According to the 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global sea levels?will?rise between 0.6 to 1.1 meters (1 to 3 feet) by 2100.?But?these models?cannot?consider all the?competing factors that will influence how sea level?rise?will impact areas locally and regionally?(such as human?behaviour?and settlement patterns which can impact the rise or fall of land surface, amongst others).???

In an effort to?hold back rising seas,?many authorities around the world?have already invested millions in sophisticated sea walls and water-control systems?in?deltas,?while others?are?assessing current defences against?new?projections or?installing?new?mitigation?and policy?measures?along their most endangered shores.??

You?do not?have to be one of the 600 million people living in a coastal area to understand the importance of coastal?defence. The managed retreat of millions,?the impact on economies,?and the increased pressure on?shrinking?land and resources will impact everyone.?And while some of us will feel the water lapping at our feet far sooner than others, we all must learn to adapt.?

“Sea level rise impacts our economy and our way of life. It is nearly impossible for most Americans to go a single day without eating, wearing, or using items that come from or through our ports and coastal communities,” writes Nicole?LeBoeuf, Director for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Ocean Service.??

It’s?one of?humankind’s?greatest challenge: keeping back the tides. As such,?we are proud to have partnered with?NOAA?and?The Ocean Foundation?- two?organisations?leading the way in sea level rise prediction and coastal resilience - to bring you?this?special issue on?Rising Seas.??

The stories within?these pages highlight the international efforts underway to create resilient coasts with nature-based solutions and green coastal development.?We?explore?the societal impact of sea level rise and?take a look?at the latest modelling tools and data collection technology for measuring coastal change.?

LeBoeuf?warns,?“There’s no time to waste in getting ready for the coastal impacts of climate change. The changes are upon us.”?

?