Beautiful Beaches at Risk: The Impact of Shrinking Shorelines Worldwide

Carefree days lounging on the sand are a hallmark of an idyllic vacation for many travelers. However, beaches themselves are a commodity, vulnerable to retreat that’s exacerbated by climate change. In fact, nearly half of the Earth’s sandy beaches could be extinct by 2100, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Climate Change.

“We need to understand that nature tends to always change and the shoreline is very dynamic,” Michalis Vousdoukas, an oceanographer and lead author of the study, stated. Moreover, while it’s natural for the shorelines to retreat, in normal conditions, the back of the beach would also shift and the sandy area would maintain its overall size. The problem arises as humans have built up those backlines of the beach, resulting in the gradual disappearance of beaches.

To illustrate this issue for travelers, the site HawaiianIslands.com merged critical data with the most reviewed beaches on Tripadvisor in each country, highlighting just how much of the planet’s beaches could be lost before the end of the century.

Topping the list is Landmark Beach in Lagos, Nigeria, predicted to lose 3,012.8 feet of shoreline; followed by Mackenzie Beach in Larnaca, Cyprus, expected to lose 2,168.3 feet; and Spiaggia La Cinta in San Teodoro, Italy, projected to lose up to 1,687 feet. The risks these beaches face are largely attributed to their “low lying and relatively narrow” nature, making them particularly vulnerable to shoreline retreats, according to Vousdoukas.

Rounding out the top 10 globally are Praia Da Costa Do Sol in Maputo, Mozambique; Kuakata Sea Beach in Patuakhali, Bangladesh; KaByar Wa Beach in KaByar Wa, Myanmar; Entry of Elegushi Beach in Lekki, Nigeria; Royal Commission Beach Yanbu in Yanbu Al Bahr, Saudi Arabia; Simaisma North Beach in Al Daayen, Qatar; and Al Thakeera Beach in Al Khor, Qatar.

In North America, Playa Akumal in Cancun tops the list with 872.3 feet, followed closely by Playa Veracruz in Panama City with 664 feet, and Clearwater Beach in Longboat Key, Florida, which measures 634.5 feet. Notably, the latter is the only American beach in the top 15 on the continent.

“Overall North American beaches are less natural and more managed than South American ones,” Vousdoukas remarked. “In South America, a combination of natural and anthropogenic erosion processes, alongside shoreline retreat, leads to increased erosion.” The top five South American beaches all reside in Brazil, highlighted by the Beach of Morro Branco in Beberibe, Praia Dos Carneirdos in Tamanandaré, and Porto De Galinhas in Ipojuca.

Currently, sandy beaches constitute over one-third of the shorelines worldwide, as the study indicates. Therefore, the most effective remedy for this issue will be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A moderate reduction could potentially save up to 40 percent of the shoreline from retreat.

However, as human development continues to encroach upon these shorelines, we inadvertently threaten their natural dynamics. “Thus, it is vital to understand the importance of keeping the coastline as natural as possible, devoid of hard, permanent structures,” Vousdoukas concluded.