Officials issue warning as coastal communities face threat of destruction: 'Doomed to disappear'

A French coastal community is facing the challenges of erosion and receding shorelines, according to RFI.

What's happening?

The community of Labenne loses more than six feet of coastal land on average each year to erosion, per the news outlet. A World War II bunker has been swallowed up by sand dunes. The advancing ocean further broke down a disused sanatorium, hastening its full demolition. The local lighthouse is likely the next building to be lost. 

"We're well aware that even the beach car park is doomed to disappear," said Labenne mayor Stéphanie Chessoux, per RFI. "Like businesses, we will have to take this natural progression into account. The elements are reclaiming their rights."

Why is erosion important?

Erosion is a critical issue worldwide. It poses a steady threat to communities and can swallow up important ecosystems. 

A major contributor to coastal erosion is sea level rise. In the far north, regions are experiencing the highest levels of temperature change worldwide, and glaciers are thawing faster than they can recover. With the exposure of soil and rocks after these melts, the Arctic's albedo effect is diminished. This means less sunlight is reflected and more of it is absorbed, further accelerating melt. 

Much of the initial warming is driven by human activities, such as burning coal and oil, which creates pollution that traps heat in the atmosphere.

What's being done about erosion?

Addressing the core issue of erosion necessarily requires reducing atmospheric pollution, but communities are addressing its short-term consequences with innovative solutions. 

Labenne is meeting the challenge of coastal erosion by spreading plants that are well-suited for sandy soil. Their root systems will be able to hold sand in place and stop it from spreading further inland. Other municipalities have deployed similar strategies successfully. Some experts believe this kind of nature-based solution is more effective than engineered alternatives. 

"A floodable marsh protects a green space behind the coast better than a sea wall, which can break in one go," said Laure Guilhem-Tauzin from France's Coastal Protection Agency, per RFI.

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