Sea-level rise is one of the most important threats caused by climate change in coastal areas. Ocean warming and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, are the main causes of this serious problem. According to several studies, global mean sea-level has been rising at a rate of 1.7 mm/year between 1901 and 2018, and this rate has accelerated to 3.7 mm/year in the period 2006-2018. The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report states that we can expect the oceans to rise by 26 to 77 centimeters by 2100, and another analysis based on European and NASA data predicts a rise of 65 centimeters by the end of this century if current inertia continues.
When sea-levels rise as rapidly as they have been, even the smallest rise can have terrible consequences for people living on the coast. As seawater moves inland, it can lead to soil erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of agricultural land and aquifers, and thus loss of habitat for fish, birds and plants.
The Spanish coasts are facing a gradual disappearance of beaches. The Canary Islands, because of their insular condition, are highly vulnerable to climate change and rising sea-levels, as reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). At this point, it is essential to carry out adaptation actions to minimize the risk of flooding in coastal areas. Aware of this, the LIFE COSTAdapta project aims to adapt island and outermost territories to climate change, enhance biodiversity and maintain the compatibility of residential use and the environment. And all this through the creation of a progressive and innovative system of reefs and tidal pools (Tidal-pool reef), inspired by the traditional technique of building tidal pools common in the Canary Islands and Macaronesia. The development and design of tidal pools with a holistic vision of adaptation to sea-level rise increase their benefits and promote a solution (blue infrastructure) that encompasses crucial factors in the resilience and quality of life of coastal areas. These factors include the reduction of the flooding surface, a decrease in the height of the sheet of water, adaptability to changing circumstances (modular measures of progressive increase), systems for creating marine habitats, creation of places of social enjoyment with easy accessibility, increase of economic activities, and improvement of degraded areas.
The coast of San Felipe, in Santa María de Guía (Gran Canaria), will be the setting for the development of these nature-based solutions that will generate reefs to help stabilize the beach in the face of rising sea-levels. A prototype that will help protect and prevent the loss of housing and infrastructure from climate change by ensuring that future generations will be able to enjoy the neighborhood as it is known today.
With a duration of seven years and a total budget of EUR 3,409,864 (EUR 2,045,818 subsidised by the EU through the LIFE Programme), COSTAdapta seeks to implement this innovative system, demonstrating its operation and effectiveness under certain conditions. As a result, it aims to obtain a working methodology that can be replicated in other areas at risk from the effects of rising sea-levels. This replication is not only intended for Gran Canaria but also for the rest of the islands of the archipelago and other outermost regions such as Madeira and the Azores.
Climate change and rising sea-levels are stark realities facing our coastal regions. Preserving these shores demands collective effort. At LIFE COSTAdapta, we’re already riding the wave to safeguard our coasts!