Beaches are some of the most popular destinations and with so much do on nature’s beauty, it’s easy to see why millions flock each year.
However, some of those beaches that people enjoy every year may not be here much longer due to climate change.
Here are how some of the world’s most famous beaches are imperiled by sea-level rise, as reported in CNN.
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii
When you think of beaches in Hawaii, naturally, you think of Waikiki Beach.
Sadly, the beach is at risk of sinking within the next 15 to 20 years, according to a 2017 Hawaii Climate Commission report.
State officials are taking action by an aggressive goal of generating 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2045.
South Beach, Miami
The impacts of climate change have been so severe in Miami that the city’s mayor dubbed it the “canary in the mineshaft” when it comes to the impacts of rising sea levels.
Officials are taking action to keep the most vulnerable areas dry by building sea walls, installing pumps and raising roads, but recent hurricanes combined with rising seas have eroded parts of South Beach, as reported in The Miami Herald.
With the latest storms, the city has tried to replenish the sand lost from its beaches by dredging it up from offshore and are now exploring buying sand from the Bahamas and elsewhere to keep their beaches alive.
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
Copacabana welcomes millions of people each year to its sandy shores, but the iconic beach is vulnerable to the impacts of sea-level rise.
Recent storm surges have eroded stretches of the city’s beaches and sent sand onto surrounding streets, the Guardian reported.
Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Like many other urban beaches, Surfers Paradise is fighting erosion. As the sea levels rise, replacing lost sand will grow more costly for Australian officials. A 2012 analysis found that over the next century, beach nourishment could cost as much as $54 million per year.
Ocean City, Maryland
One of the busiest and most crowded beaches in the United States is Ocean City.
Ocean City’s beaches have typically been replenished every four years, but after a winter storm caused serious erosion in 2016, the city was forced to begin dredging and pumping sand on the beach ahead of schedule costing $12.7 million, as reported in WJZ 13.
Santa Monica, California
Like many of the beaches on this list, Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Beach is facing a problem with erosion.
To fight it, a pilot program run by the Bay Foundation is underway on a 3-acre stretch of the beach to cultivate native plants and dunes as a buffer against sea-level rise.
The goal is to make the beach more resilient by with a more than 60% chance that sea levels will rise more than three feet in the next 80 years, the long-term future of Santa Monica remains uncertain.
Barceloneta, Spain
Like all of Barcelona’s eight beaches, Barceloneta is a man-made creation.
In 2008 and 2010, a series of strong storms eroded large sections of several of Barcelona’s beaches, including Barceloneta. The city has repaired the beaches since but about half of the sand has been reclaimed by the sea.
With sea levels now expected to rise more than previously predicted, it will likely be difficult for Barcelona to maintain its status as a premier destination for beachgoers.