Climate change is causing this Spanish beach to disappear

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Construction and climate change are eating away at part of the Spanish coast at an alarming rate.

Between 2016 and 2022, the Arraijanal-San Julián coast between Torremolinos and Málaga receded by up to 45 meters.

The Spanish government has said for decades that the country’s coastline suffers from a “generalized process of coastal regression”. But the extent of the problem in this part of Costa del Sol puts the situation in focus.

So much so that the General Directorate of the Coast and Sea has declared “a situation of severe regression”. For this to happen, the beach must have regressed by five meters every year for five years and be considered unable to recover naturally to its previous state.

According to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, this specific stretch of coastline has lost more than 200,000 square meters of beach during this time period. It was originally made vulnerable to human action, now it is being eroded by climate change.

Climate change and construction are eroding Spain’s beaches

Urban development, including the construction of marinas, housing, golf courses, and river diversions, laid the foundations for this erosion to occur.

Especially in the municipality of Mijas in Málaga, the government has blamed the degradation of sandy beaches on seasonal commercial establishments such as beach bars.

Consequences of climate change – “an increase in the intensity and frequency of extremes [weather] events and sea ​​level rise” – are also affecting the coastline, according to an official analysis. The number of storms in the area has increased, and by 2022 waves crashing ashore were three to four times higher than the recorded average.

Together these factors mean that along this stretch of the Spanish coast, between 1.5 and 4.5 meters of beach is lost every year. In some areas this erosion reaches up to 5 meters.

In total, between 2016 and 2022 there are some parts of the coast that have receded 45 meters. Others have fared better, but only three of the region’s 27 sections have lost less than 10 meters.

Why is coastal erosion a problem for Spain?

The Spanish coast is home to 39 percent of the country’s population with a relatively high density – 429 people per square kilometer. This makes coastal erosion a major problem for the more than 18 million people who live there, with the beaches acting as a natural barrier against wind and rain.

Tourism, which is a major part of Spain’s economy, also relies on its coastline, but the development it brings is also contributing to erosion.

Fixing the damage is costing the Spanish government tens of millions of euros every year. Sand must be taken from elsewhere to fill the beaches for the summer tourism season. This sand is therefore, once again, pulled by erosion – sometimes at a faster rate than can be replaced.

A study conducted by a group of European researchers, including scientists at the University of Cádiz in Andalusia, recently found that half of the world’s sandy beaches could disappear this century. They say the main cause of this extensive coastal erosion is climate change.