In the future, there will be fewer sun loungers and umbrellas to rent in Majorca. The commune of Palma, which also includes the popular seaside resort of Arenal, is planning corresponding reductions on five beaches in its area from next summer.
By regional newspapers “Diario de Mallorca” and the Spanish radio station “Cadena Ser”, quoting the councilor Mercedes Celeste, the reduction in the number of sandy areas has led to an overcrowding of tourists, something that both locals and visitors have complained about.
Changed coastline
The current licenses for rental companies were developed decades ago, at a time when the beaches in Palma were larger, emphasized the politician responsible for internal affairs and finances in Palma, who is also the spokesperson for the town hall. “We have a completely different coastline today than 10, 20 or 30 years ago,” she added. There is simply “less sand than before.”
According to Celeste, city hall is already working on it new ones tenders “based on the current coastline”. In cooperation with other authorities and institutions, not only the problem of congestion will be solved. Among other things, access points to the beach are to be improved.
Beaches have been dying for decades – and not only in Majorca. Beaches are also disappearing in other coastal areas such as California and Florida, Türkiye, Brazil and the Gold Coast in Australia. Experts believe that one of the reasons for this phenomenon is the fact that the coasts have been built up right to the beach. Dunes that protect against erosion by wind and sea often no longer exist.
The threat is not only in Majorca
According to experts, climate change is also one of the factors. A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change shows that under conditions characterized by climate change and rising sea levels, “half of the world's sandy beaches could disappear by the end of this century.”
'Beaches that remain natural can easily adapt to climate change because they are able to recede and rise,' says Francesca Ribas of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona. But if the beach cannot move because of the concrete – it will disappear. The fact that the dunes have been transformed into promenades is a serious problem, explains the coastal dynamics expert. The adaptive capacity of beaches has been significantly reduced, and at the same time the risk of flooding during storms increases. Dams on rivers near the coast and the construction of sports ports and other infrastructure near the coast also promote erosion – explains Ribas.
Grim forecasts
In other coastal regions of the world, climate change and the associated rise in sea levels are driving the disappearance of beaches. “Half of the world's sandy beaches could disappear by the end of the century,” according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.
Barcelona estimates that 30,000 tons of water are washed out there every year. cubic meters of sand. This is over ten percent of the total resources. Ribas is well-informed thanks to her work, but as a beachgoer she still experiences surprises: – I was completely surprised just a few years ago when I visited several beaches in the Llobregat delta south of Barcelona that had previously had no problems with erosion, I noticed a huge regression – says.
Unpopular measures are necessary
Ribas sees only one real solution: – We have to give back to the sea what we stole from it – he emphasizes. The key to this is the magic word: renaturalization. – We need to restore the original dune systems and, if necessary, dismantle the seaside promenades and build them back further away, even if these measures may be unpopular – the researcher postulates.
(DPA/Aug)
The article comes from the website Deutsche Welle