Ibiza, Spain. Photo courtesy of: © Denis Delestrac
Excerpts;
“Balancing the future of Europe’s coasts”, a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), argues that Europe needs to improve its knowledge to better understand the long-term damaging effects of current human and economic pressures on the coastal environment, jeopardizing the essential maintenance of the natural capital.
Coastal regions generate around 40 % of EU GDP. Europe is a major player in many intensive maritime industries, including shipping and ports, fisheries, energy and coastal tourism. However, this has come at a cost, habitat destruction, overfishing, pollution, coastal erosion, and infrastructure development have damaged coastal ecosystems.
Moreover, climate change is likely to make these regions, and the societies in them, more vulnerable, the report says. Seas and coasts are currently considered to be drivers for the European economy with great potential for innovation and growth…
