Havana, Cuba: The scientific journal Nature Climate Change recently published a study where it ensures that if measures are not taken to mitigate climate change, almost half of the world’s sandy beaches could disappear in 2100 due to global warming.
However, the investigation itself indicates that if action is taken in time, this forecast could be reduced by 40 percent, the website of Cubadebate publishes.
A team led by Michaleis Vosdoukas, from Delf University (Netherlands), analyzed databases and satellite images of changes in shorelines between 1984 and 2015 to extrapolate trends and predict future dynamics.
“A substantial proportion of the world’s sandy shoreline is already eroding, a situation that could be exacerbated by climate change?, the researchers note in the study summary.
Vousdoukas said half of these beaches will experience erosion of more than 100 meters and are likely to be lost, the study by the Dutch institution continues.
Sandy beaches occupy more than a third of the world coastline, have a high socio-economic value and provide natural protection against sea storms and cyclones.
To the ecological and environmental disaster that this entails, we should add the losses in terms of ecosystem value and the severe socioeconomic impacts that could occur, especially in less developed areas or with a strong dependence on tourism related to the coast.
The research takes into account multiple scenarios: one that contemplates an increase in global temperatures of 2.4 degrees and another that considers double that amount.