Climate change is now visible: accelerating erosion, rising water levels and the disappearance of beaches, the inhabitants of coastal areas are increasingly becoming victims. To deal with this growing vulnerability, the government of Flanders was planning to build an artificial island off the coast. As Coastal Defenders, volunteers from the chapter of Surfrider Belgium coast have been fighting against this anti-ecological project, to preserve the coastline, beaches and waves. Let’s take a look back at the struggle of these Coastal Defenders since 2016, from opposition actions to their integration of the decision-making process.
An artificial island to cope with rising sea levels in Belgium
Flanders is a particularly vulnerable region to rising sea levels and increased storm events. Which is accelerating due to climate change with – sea levels estimated to rise to several meters by the end of the century – these meteorological disturbances threaten the coastal areas of the region, which could even disappear by 2050.
In order to prevent these coastal risks, the Flemish Minister of Tourism, Ben Weyts, proposed in 2016 the integration of a new test island project, within the Marine Spatial Development Plan (MSDP) of 2020-2026. Located about one kilometer off the coast of the seaside resort of Knokke-Heist, this artificial island of 40 hectares would have made it possible, according to him, to protect the coastline from storms, rising water and erosion accentuated by strong waves. A large-scale project with disastrous consequences on the environment, the quality of life and the health of users.
Knokke-Heist: playground for the Coastal Defenders
Apart from having a minimal effect on the long-term protection of the coastline, such a construction would have catastrophic ecological consequences: in addition to accentuating the deposition of silt on the beach of Knokke-Heist, the creation of a channel between the coast and the island would lead to a concentration of waste and degassing of passing ships at this location. Also, by the aggravation of the water pollution, the impossibility of water sports like surfing because of the disappearance of the waves and, the formation of whirlpools making the bathing dangerous, this project would strongly impact the quality of life and the health of the users.
For these reasons, a fight against the project has been initiated. The volunteers of the Belgian coast chapter of Surfrider Europe joined the citizen’s collective Stop het Eiland, formed in 2016: their solid arguments and the 4622 objections filed during the 2018 public consultation on the MSDP, then convinced the political decision-makers and experts who withdrew the test island project from this development plan. A first considerable coastal community victory that is, moreover, in the long term.
A long-term campaign: The Stop het Eiland collective officially recognised as a stakeholder in the Kustvisie
Because the action of Stop het Eiland has also led to the creation, under the leadership of the Flemish government, of a Kustvisie in Knokke-Heist: taking into account the various local environmental, economic and social issues, this program seeks to protect the coastline and its inhabitants in the best possible way. Indeed, if the project of an artificial island has been abandoned for the moment, the MSDP still foresees that measures be taken to safeguard the threatened coastline. Discussions are therefore continuing within this Kustvisie so that alternative solutions to the construction of such an island can be found.
Because this campaign is based on discussion, participation and targeted consultation of certain stakeholders, Stop het Eiland has been recognized as a real stakeholder in the decision-making process for the protection of the Knokke-Heist coastline. Its representatives now participate in meetings on the coastal projects and ensure that the solutions chosen to deal with the consequences of climate change are respectful of ecosystems. Proving that they can be considered as real experts and long-term decision-makers, the case of Knokke-Heist is a very big victory for the Coastal Defenders. It is a hope for more responsible planning choices in the future.
