Storms and rising seas are washing away Barcelona’s man-made beaches, putting tourism and coastal life at risk, according to residents in the area. In Montgat, locals say their summers by the sea are vanishing.
The coastline around Barcelona is retreating fast according to those who live nearby — particularly in areas such as Montgat, a small beach town just 30 minutes from the city.
Ana García, who spends summers there with her daughter, fears their seaside tradition could soon end.
“Clearly, this is worrying,” García said. “Because it’s increasing more and more, and shows no signs of stopping. Our coexistence with the sea here is in danger.”
Powerful storms and rising sea levels are eroding artificial beaches that helped turn the area into a major tourist hub. Compared to natural coastlines, these man-made beaches erode quickly.
The damage is especially severe during autumn and winter storms known as DANA, with waves reaching up to 5 metres.
Local officials and scientists warn that the situation is becoming dire. They've said that simply adding sand no longer works structural interventions such as breakwaters are needed to slow the loss.
Montgat’s mayor calls beaches 'the last democratic space,' stressing their role in local life. But with just a third of the beach remaining and vital infrastructure such as train lines now at risk, the urgency is growing.
An estimated €60 million is needed to protect 42 kilometres of metropolitan coastline, and locals fear time is running out.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
The world's richest 0.1 per cent, just eight million people, produce more carbon emissions through their consumption than the poorest 3.5 billion people combined, according to an Oxfam report released on 27 October 2026.
Azerbaijan is seeking international investment in a 3,000-kilometre green energy corridor to Europe, with banks, investors and energy companies gathering in Baku on Thursday to discuss financing for the ambitious project.
A female dusky shark trapped in a canal in Busan, South Korea, for more than a month has finally returned to the open sea after a successful rescue operation on Wednesday (21 October), following two failed attempts.
The world is on course for dangerous levels of global warming despite international climate pledges, with greenhouse gas emissions hitting record highs and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target increasingly out of reach, according to a UN assessment.
As Armenia prepares to host COP17, the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, new projections reveal a widening gap between global conservation promises and what countries are on track to deliver by 2030.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment