[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/10399\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESand dunes offer clues to coastal erosion and how to prevent it\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 200 million Europeans who live in coastal zones are already feeling the impact of global warming through extreme variations in sea level and flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMany parts of Europe could suffer 10 times more coastal flooding by 2100,\u0026nbsp;depending on the trajectory of greenhouse-gas emissions that cause climate change,\u0026nbsp;according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/ims\/extreme-sea-levels-and-coastal-flooding\u0022\u003EEuropean Environment Agency\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHistory lessons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018For major cities close to the shore, this is going to be a big issue,\u2019 said Dr Joana Freitas, an environmental historian at the University of Lisbon in Portugal.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe predicted rise in sea levels has focused attention on the measures that can be taken to protect Europe\u2019s coastline. As the first natural line of defence against flooding and coastal erosion, sand dunes have an important role to play in sheltering these areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBut today\u2019s sand dunes don\u2019t provide as much protection as they once did.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking at how people have interacted with nature can provide valuable insights into recent changes in the environment and humankind\u2019s role in causing them, according to Freitas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EShe is the lead researcher of the EU-funded \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/802918\u0022\u003EDUNES\u003C\/a\u003E project, which is putting together a complete history of human-environment interactions in coastal areas worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe project, which began in November 2018 and runs through April 2024, covers France, Portugal, the UK, Brazil, Mozambique, North America and New Zealand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Humans have a long history of connecting with dunes,\u2019 said Freitas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThat history is marked by ups and downs. In the 17\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E to 18\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E centuries, dunes in Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Portugal were considered dangerous because the sand blown inland by the wind silted rivers and harmed farms.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETree traps\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETo prevent this, coastal inhabitants planted marram grass\u0026nbsp;\u2013\u0026nbsp;Ammophila arenaria \u2013 to trap the sands.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EHumans have a long history of connecting with dunes.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Joana Freitas, DUNES\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ELater, from the end of the 18th century, several countries in Europe supported the planting of trees on dunes to prevent the destruction of arable land and increase dunes\u2019 economic value by turning them into forested areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETrees can grow well on stabilised dunes and become part of their ecosystem. And, in general, vegetation such as grasses, shrubs and bushes can help stabilise dunes and prevent their erosion as well as provide a home for plants and wildlife.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBut large-scale tree plantings carried out in the 19\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E century and early 20\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E century caused more damage than the inhabitants likely realised. For one, as these new forests often were monocultures of non-native species, they disrupted the existing ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESecond, extensive tree planting \u2013 along with the spread of urban areas, building of harbours and dams, dredging of navigation channels and construction of seawalls and low barriers known as groynes \u2013 caused profound changes in coastal areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, they deeply affected the balance between sediment added to and removed from a coastal system\u2019s littoral zone, which is the part of a sea close to the shore. This activity reduced the amount of sand on some beaches, limiting their ability to act as a buffer and protect structures and buildings on the coast.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWave power\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Dunes are keepers of sand, they are reservoirs,\u2019 said Freitas. \u2018When there are bigger and stronger waves during storms, the sand is taken from the beach, which creates an underwater barrier, so the next waves will be blocked.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEventually, over weeks or months, more gentle waves gradually return the eroded sand from offshore to the beach. This fluctuating of the shoreline backwards and forwards over time\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eis a normal coastal process that is hardly noticeable in normal times but can be dramatic during storms.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFreitas is concerned that if the natural balance isn\u2019t maintained, beaches will eventually be destroyed and the coastal protection dunes provide will be lost.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOlivier Burvingt, a researcher at the University of Bordeaux in France, is well aware of the potential impact of storms and sea level rises on coastal sand dunes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe can measure and study the topographical changes of the dune sediments.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EOlivier Burvingt, ERoDES\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the EU-funded \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/891807\u0022\u003EERoDES\u003C\/a\u003E project, Burvingt and colleagues are seeking to understand how dunes respond to and recover from extreme weather events along the Atlantic coast of Europe. The three-year project runs through August 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBy using light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, laser technology, the ERoDES team can collect precise data from the air along several kilometres of dunes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Regional coastal monitoring programmes across Europe provide us with data that were collected using aircraft that fly over dunes,\u2019 said Burvingt. \u2018That way we can measure and study the topographical changes of the dune sediments with a vertical precision of up to 10 centimetres.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ELike Freitas and her team, ERoDES is also looking back in time and drawing on physical and digital archives and models to understand more about dunes\u2019 behaviour now and in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegional puzzles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe vast amount of data collected by the project can provide insights into the difference in resilience of some of the most exposed coastal dunes along the Atlantic coast.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the team is studying the response and recovery rates of eight coastal dune areas ranging from north-western England to southwestern France in the 2011-2020 period.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAll the areas under study have been exposed to and eroded by massive storms in the Atlantic, particularly extreme weather experienced in the winter of 2013-2014.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA puzzling element for the researchers is that, although exposed to the same storms, the dunes have responded differently and have all recovered at varying speeds. While some areas have returned to the same state they were in before the storms, others are still recovering or have lost even more sand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We\u2019re trying to understand why their response is different,\u2019 said Burvingt.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAll eight sites have different environmental characteristics, including tides, climate, dune size, coastline shape and vegetation density.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the main findings from the project so far is that the dunes with the steepest slopes were the ones to lose the most sand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother is that the rate of recovery is mainly dependent on the amount of sediment available along the coastline. Being able accurately to assess these sediment budgets is key to anticipating the evolution of coastal dunes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the project\u2019s end, these results will be shared with coastal authorities across Europe. Based on the characteristics of each region, officials can tailor a strategy to protect the dunes, restore the coasts and guard against future storms and flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth ERoDES and DUNES advance a broad\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/funding\/funding-opportunities\/funding-programmes-and-open-calls\/horizon-europe\/eu-missions-horizon-europe\/adaptation-climate-change_en\u0022\u003EEU initiative\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to help cities and local authorities better understand the climate threat they face and how to react in time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBut in doing so, the two projects take a new approach to adapting to global warming by avoiding a traditional focus on new technologies and methods that can prevent, or at least reduce, the impact of future flooding, drought, wildfires and other consequences of rising temperatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, ERoDES and DUNES move towards relying on steps that work with an ecosystem rather than introducing traditional human-made fixes such as seawalls, dams and dikes. Future dune restoration and protection are set to depend on planting native vegetation and re-introducing indigenous plant species\u0026nbsp;\u2013 actions that are kinder on the environment and relatively inexpensive.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This simple and effective \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/research-area\/environment\/nature-based-solutions_en\u0022\u003Enature-based solution\u003C\/a\u003E has been done by coastal populations for centuries in some European countries,\u2019 said Freitas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for the research itself, she stressed the benefits of its interdisciplinary nature.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018One of the most important contributions of DUNES is to show that transdisciplinary work between the humanities and the sciences is possible, rich and valuable and should be a path to follow more often in the future,\u2019 Freitas said.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded via the EU\u2019s European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-bg-bluelightest tw-p-12 tw-my-12 tw--mx-16\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3 class=\u0022tw-font-sans tw-font-bold tw-text-blue tw-uppercase tw-text-lg tw-mb-8\u0022\u003EAdapting to climate change\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-inline-block tw-w-1\/6 tw-h-1 tw-bg-blue tw-mb-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EAccording to the latest data from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/public.wmo.int\/en\/media\/press-release\/temperatures-europe-increase-more-twice-global-average\u0022\u003EWorld Meteorological Organization\u003C\/a\u003E, Europe is warming twice as fast as the world average.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdapting to climate change means taking action now to prepare for both the current effects of climate change and the future ones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fresearch-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu%2Ffunding%2Ffunding-opportunities%2Ffunding-programmes-and-open-calls%2Fhorizon-europe%2Feu-missions-horizon-europe%2Fadaptation-climate-change_en\u0026amp;data=05%7C01%7CCecilie.JENSEN%40netcompany-intrasoft.com%7Cf87fbcc1de17438edfaf08db2bc1a91a%7Cb4c2ce7d100a41cb905c1931371a58d5%7C0%7C0%7C638151884456455402%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=1KU2CUc3wBMzoJpC1JoyxIRKY9mT3KG%2FvQmnzpVZNYA%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003EEU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change\u003C\/a\u003E focuses on supporting EU regions, cities and local authorities in their efforts to build resilience to the inevitable effects of a changing climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith concrete targets for 2030, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/funding\/funding-opportunities\/funding-programmes-and-open-calls\/horizon-europe\/eu-missions-horizon-europe\/restore-our-ocean-and-waters_en\u0022\u003EEU Mission to Restore our Ocean and Waters\u003C\/a\u003E will protect and restore aquatic ecosystems to support biodiversity and ensure native wildlife and plants have a home for years to come.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/research-area\/environment\/nature-based-solutions_en\u0022\u003ENature-based solutions\u003C\/a\u003E are inspired by and supported by nature. They use nature\u2019s own resources - clean air, water and soil - in a smart way, to tackle environmental challenges while supporting biodiversity and providing environmental, social and economic benefits.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther EU-funded projects that are implementing nature-based solutions for coastal erosion include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101037097\u0022\u003EREST-COAST\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.interregnorthsea.eu\/manabas-coast\u0022\u003EInterreg MANABAS\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWatch the video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\u0022accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 height=\u0022315\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/europa.eu\/webtools\/crs\/iframe\/?oriurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FQomNYP5TZsU\u0022 title=\u0022YouTube video player\u0022 width=\u0022560\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-ddibyqfsnz2zojf6zzagduhubmcbswulzrafholzg7a\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-DDIBYQfSnZ2zOjf6zzaGdUHubmcBswULzRaFHOlZg7A\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]