The news had a devastating effect in the media who only saw a catastrophe in it: flooding a part of the Coast… However, the “Metroplitaan Kustlandschap 2100” study goes further and presents four paths for redesigning the Belgian coastline by 2100. These paths include further development of the big coastal cities like Ostend, Zeebrugge and Knokke, the creation of a wilder Baie de l’Yser based on the Baie de Somme and the strengthening of public transport. Apart from the landscape and environmental aspects (how to deal with the rise in sea level?), the study also tackles the problem of the future development of the Coast’s economy and its tourism. Beyond the polemic it may have given rise to, it has the advantage of putting a number of issues on the table that we will have to answer if Belgium wants to hold on to its coastline.
Photo © RR
Further informationTags: Belgian coast, Coast