Rising seas will consume large areas of the Murcia coast by 2050
18 square kilometres could be lost to the sea by 2100 due to climate change
The coastal areas of San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Los Alcázares and Cartagena on the Mar Menor are set to be the most heavily affected places of the rising seas over the next 30 years, as the world heats up, the coast is engulfed by the sea and the Mar Menor is altered significantly by the changes in the sea by 2050.
This comes from Salvador Gil, a professor of Human Geography at the University of Murcia, who states that the changes to the coast will also affect the “Isla del Barón and La Perdiguera”.
The professor continues by explaining that because of the rugged nature of the coastline of Murcia it will not be as heavily affected as other regions in Spain despite certain areas still suffering badly.
Hotspots such as La Albufera in Valencia and the Basque coast are set to feel the real brunt of the force of the flooding that is expected over the next 30 years, because of the rising of the seas.
In coming years, the Region of Murcia will have to be aware of and prepare for the dangers that climate change presents to the coastline, scientists have warned. The risk of rivers or sea flooding following an extreme storm is increasing due to the change in climate.
However, the larger picture points to permanent consequences that are too late to fight or change the course of. This is the conclusion that the scientific community reached some time ago and they have put forward three hypotheses of the possible outcome that will arise from the heating of the earth.
The most optimistic scenario, which speaks of a rapid reduction in emissions, is no longer possible as we have gone to far past the point of return. The second scenario places Murcia in huge danger of flooding, which in turn exhibits the Region’s possibility of losing more than 100 hectares of built-up areas and 60 hectares of coastal sand dunes.
This second possible outcome is the one that many professionals are working towards. This outcome focuses on controlling emissions from this moment on. The problem for Murcia, however, is that from the Playa del Estacio beach to the sandbanks of San Pedro, there will be permanent flooding, even if this scenario plays out. Furthermore, many points all along the Mediterranean coast of La Manga, as well as on the ‘inland’ coast of the Mar Menor will all be affected to a large degree.
However, the worst case scenario that is being considered if there is no action taken on climate change shows a devastating effect to the coastline of Murcia.
If this scenario plays out as expected, the coastline would lose 1,794 hectares of land to the sea. Of this land lost the majority of it will be around the Mar Menor, an area where many people live and enjoy their life in relaxation by the coast.
However, some professionals claim that it can be hard to predict the flooding in a precise way. Sea level predictions however are extremely accurate and they show that the sea is rising year on year and the fact is that land will be lost to the sea.
Professionals are asking for more high-resolution models for predicting flooding patterns to better understand whether certain areas will flood or not.
“It’s not just about seeing which area will be affected,” says Professor Gil. “It’s about using very high-resolution models to see what kind of measures could be taken to prevent these floods. Perhaps with a 100-metre barrier, 200 hectares could be protected.”
What will happen in the future is still unknown, but the evidence is pointing to the loss of land in Murcia due to the rising of the seas and the heating of the earth.
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Image: Ayuntamiento de San Javier
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