The World's Beaches Are Running Out of Sand

From Miami to Barcelona and Australia's Gold Coast, governments are trying to save shorelines where climate change is accelerating the rates of erosion.

- Eva Xiao

Summer in Rodanthe, a small community found on the sliver of islands that make up the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is in full swing. The peak season brings in holidaymakers who come to enjoy the area's stunning waterfront. But in winter, it is not just the crowds that disappear, a little bit of the shoreline goes, too.

Each year, Rodanthe loses 3m to 4.5m of its beach to erosion—one of the fastest rates on the US east coast—and the consequences are severe. Since 2020, 11 homes have collapsed into the ocean, with more next in line.

It is one of many coastal communities worldwide staring down a critical issue that threatens their economic future and, as climate change worsens, potentially their very existence: a lack of sand.

Sand acts as a natural barrier against extreme weather, including flooding. Yet while sand seems like it's in abundant supply, the reality is that growing demand—including from the construction industry—is leading to shortages and pushing up prices.

"I don't know if it's in 10 years or a hundred, but there's going to come a time when we're going to either run out of sand or it's going to become prohibitively expensive," says Mr Bobby Outten, manager of Dare County, which includes Rodanthe. "We can't wait until it happens to start talking about it."

For decades, one of the go-to methods to combat coastal erosion has been "beach nourishment", whereby fresh sand is brought in from elsewhere. This is often dredged offshore or from nearby waterways, not only to reduce transportation costs but also to ensure that the replacement is environmentally and aesthetically suitable.

Replenishing Rodanthe's narrow beaches would initially cost more than US$40 million (S$51 million)—money that it does not have. That has left oceanfront home owners there with little option but to move inland, what scientists call "managed retreat", or to stay put and hope for the best.