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Published: 25 Aug 2010
Europe’s coastal zones are under increasing
pressure from erosion, pollution, climate
change, urbanisation and tourism. Such pressures
threaten entire
ecosystems — vital not only for wildlife
but also for the economy and human well-being.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) takes
a closer look at the state of coastal ecosystems
and policy responses to the pressures affecting
them.
In some cases it was
their sheer beauty that led to development,
in others economic potential. Whatever the
causes, coastal regions today host almost
half of the inhabitants of EU countries
with a sea border. They host homes and workplaces,
industries, holiday destinations and recreation
areas. With an immense variety of habitats,
ranging from salt-adapted scrubs and grasslands,
cliffs and rocky shores, sandy beaches and
tidal areas, estuaries and lagoons, they
are also home to numerous species, many
a key source of food and economic prosperity
for Europe.
Ninth in the series
of '10 messages for 2010', the EEA’s new
assessment on coastal ecosystems presents
key findings on the state of biodiversity
in coastal zones and explores the main causes
of coastal ecosystem degradation.
As transition zones
between land and marine environments, coastal
zones are affected by changes and pressures
from both sides. Truly sustainable coastal
management can only be achieved using an
integrated and ecosystem approach, with
coordinated action at global, regional and
local levels, taking into account the pressures
and socio-economic realities both on land
and at sea.
Key findings
The main causes of changes to coastal ecosystems
are coastal erosion; sprawling economic
sites and infrastructure linked to urbanisation
and tourism; and creating and managing forests
as well as water bodies.
Coastal erosion is largely caused by sediment
starvation as a consequence of river dams,
although intensive development and sand
mining can also contribute to coastal habitat
destruction.
Half of Europe’s coastal
wetlands are expected to disappear (approximately
4500 km2) as a result of sea level rise
linked to climate change. About 10 % of
Europe’s coastline is already protected
by sea defences.
Climate change is also
expected to affect river flows and species
in coastal wetlands and estuaries. Higher
water temperatures might also shift the
balance in favour of invasive alien species.
Urbanisation put Mediterranean
coastal wetlands under constant pressure
in the period 11000–2000, particularly in
Spain and southern Italy.
High nitrate and phosphate
loads in water environments lead to blue-green
algae blooms, which can choke all other
aquatic life through high oxygen consumption
and threaten human health in bathing areas.
Increasing exploitation
of sand and gravel from coastal zones or
over-exploitation of fish stocks also put
considerable pressure on coastal ecosystems.
More than two thirds
of coastal habitat types and more than half
of species typical of coastal ecosystems
have an ‘unfavourable’ conversation status.
Policy frameworks in
place
In 2002, the European
Commission recommended implementing ‘Integrated
Coastal Zone Management’ acknowledging the
uniqueness of coastal zones.
The EU Water Framework
Directive, adopted in 2000, requires surface
water bodies (lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries
and coastal waters) to be ecologically sound
by 2015.
The EU Marine Strategy
Framework Directive, adopted in 2008, urges
the creation of a network of marine protected
areas by 2012 and stipulates that marine
ecosystems must reach a good environmental
status by 2020.
Coastal habitats and
species are also covered by the European
Union’s two key nature conservation directives:
the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.
Several international
conventions, including the OSPAR Convention
(Convention for the Protection of the Marine
Environment of the North-East Atlantic),
Barcelona Convention (Convention for the
Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against
Pollution), and Bucharest Convention (Convention
for the Protection of the Black Sea against
Pollution) also enhance regional cooperation.
More policy-specific
responses, such as the ongoing reform of
the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, should
also have a strong positive impact on coastal
economies.
