Coastal erosion, a phenomenon affecting 20% of the French coastline
Coastal erosion is the gradual loss of sediment along the coast, causing the coastline (the boundary between land and sea) to retreat inland. This natural phenomenon is exacerbated by climate change and now affects 20% of the French coastline. Between 1960 and 2010, around 30 km² of land was lost, the equivalent of one football pitch every 4 to 5 days.
Climate change is exacerbating this erosion. Rising sea levels, due to the thermal expansion of the oceans and the melting of glaciers and ice caps, are a key factor. Since 1900, sea levels have risen by 20 cm, and the rate of rise has doubled in the last 30 years. This rise facilitates the propagation of more powerful waves, which further erode coastlines.
There are several solutions to this problem:
- Soft approaches, based on nature, aim to restore or protect natural ecosystems such as dunes, beaches, reefs or mangroves. For example, revegetating dunes enables sediment to be fixed by plant roots. These methods also offer additional benefits, such as preserving landscapes, improving water quality and enhancing biodiversity.
- In cases where the stakes are too high or the alternatives limited, "hard" solutions such as dykes, breakwaters or groins can be used. However, these structures have drawbacks, notably high costs and environmental impacts, while sometimes providing illusory safety.
France is facing a change of perspective, which involves working with nature rather than against it, and marks a transition towards a more respectful and sustainable model of coastal development. As this approach sums up: "We stop fighting nature. We're working with nature".
2,200 campsites threatened by coastal erosion
As a result of the retreat of the coastline, which affects 20% of the French coastline, 2,200 campsites, representing 50% of outdoor hotel accommodation in France, are under threat.
This phenomenon, linked to climate change, could lead to the disappearance of a third of campsites within 30 years. Faced with this gradual but foreseeable threat, local authorities, the State, owners and users are trying to organise adaptation and relocation strategies to maintain this activity, which is essential to the appeal of coastal areas for tourists.
To anticipate these impacts, the French Ministry for Ecological Transition has launched a call for expressions of interest aimed at carrying out territorial diagnostics to help local authorities and businesses prepare projects adapted to erosion. The aim is to identify the actions needed to relocate campsites and improve their offering, while taking account of local needs.
The Climate and Resilience Act also provides new tools enabling local authorities to design development projects to redevelop threatened coastal areas. These projects include the relocation of campsites, whether public or private, as well as economic activities and associated facilities.
There are two components to the proposed diagnostics:
- Territorial diagnosis: to carry out an inventory of the campsites (types of accommodation, target public) and identify the relocation or development requirements (land, networks, roads) for spatial reorganisation projects. In this case, the aim is to rethink and reorganise coastal areas threatened by the retreat of the coastline. For a campsite, this may mean rebuilding its infrastructure further away from the seafront or relocating. It could also mean building more accommodation on stilts, for example.
- Operational diagnostics: to assess the customer base, economic performance, environmental impact and infrastructure compliance of the campsites concerned. The aim of these diagnostics is to modernise the offer while maintaining the operators' sales figures - and the ability of tourists to enjoy these popular French accommodations.
In doing so, the aim is not only to protect tourist activities linked to campsites, but also to prepare territories for a sustainable and resilient transition in the face of coastal erosion.
Campsites threatened by coastal erosion and local initiatives
The following examples - among many others - are located in the departments most affected by coastal erosion in France. They show strategies that oscillate between relocation, renaturation, temporary protection (riprap, re-silting) and infrastructure modernisation. However, the economic, environmental and social challenges complicate the implementation of these measures, particularly in areas where tourism is essential.
Hauts-de-France - Côte d'Opale (Nord-Pas de calais)
Camping des Dunes (Camiers): a dyke washed away in a single tide, reducing the campsite's surface area from 25 to 15 hectares. These events illustrate the urgent need to take decisions in the face of rapid coastal erosion.
Normandy - Quiberville-sur-Mer (Seine-Maritime)
The Seasonova Saâne et Mer **** campsite , Quiberville-sur-Mer's municipal seaside campsite at the mouth of the river Saâne, has been relocated 600 m from the coast, on the heights of the village. This is the first campsite in France where such an extreme decision has been taken. It is justified by the risk of flooding from the sea, river flooding and rising groundwater. The former site will be renatured, marking an example of strategic retreat and a change of model in the face of the impacts of global warming.
Normandy - Gouville-sur-Mer (Manche)
The two campsites in the commune (including the Belle Etoile campsite ****), located in the immediate vicinity of the sea, were protected by riprap in 2020. However, this solution is considered temporary in the face of ongoing erosion. The professionals fear a loss of attractiveness if the campsite is relocated too far from the coast.
New Aquitaine - Capbreton (Landes)
In the Landes département, coastal erosion is threatening a number of campsites by the sea. In Capbreton, for example, the local council is putting in place protective measures to combat the retreat of the coastline, a phenomenon that is having a direct impact on tourist infrastructures, including campsites. According to projections, the sandy coastline of the Landes could retreat by an average of 50 metres by 2050, exacerbating the risks for these establishments.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine - Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Identified as one of the most vulnerable communes, Saint-Jean-de-Luz has implemented a coastal risk management strategy:
- Gradual relocation of facilities (including campsites).
- Re-sand the beaches and revegetate the old coastal paths.
By 2043, 5 campsites, several bars, restaurants, homes and infrastructure will be affected by these retreat and redevelopment measures.
New Aquitaine - Bassin d'Arcachon (Gironde)
Massive re-silting operations (220,000 tonnes in one month, the equivalent of 60 Olympic swimming pools) are carried out every two years on the beaches of the Arcachon Basin and the Dune du Pilat. This work preserves the beaches and prevents the water from reaching the protective walls directly, but its high cost raises questions about its long-term sustainability.
Occitanie - Vias (Hérault)
The Hérault department, where the coastline is receding steadily, is particularly exposed. In Vias, 13 campsites representing 2,500 plots and welcoming 30,000 tourists every summer are involved in a spatial reorganisation study. Proposals include:
- Mobile homes on stilts with precarious authorisations.
- Reduction in on-site infrastructure (such as the water park at Les Flots bleus *** campsite, shown in the photo above).
- Maintenance of existing protection (riprap).
However, some operators refuse to stray too far from the beach, which is essential for their customers.
Not even afraid
Rest assured: not all the campsites under threat will close, but they will have to adapt to these new constraints. For our part, we'll adapt to walking a few hundred metres to get to the beach, but so what?
The seaside landscape will evolve along the entire coastline and France, as it redesigns itself, will be just as beautiful and perhaps even more natural.
To be continued in 30 years' time...
In the meantime, make the most of these magnificent campsites with direct access to the beach!