the bay of Wissant more than ever threatened by erosion

It is one of the areas where erosion is the fastest in France. In the Bay of Wissant (Pas-de-Calais), jewel of the Opal Coast, the Channel has gained 300m inland in 70 years. Behind the beach, only a simple dune remains to protect certain housing estates. The sea is only 40m away from them compared to 200 in 1990. Once an asset, the proximity of the shore has become a threat.

Measures to limit erosion

To curb erosion, the elected officials of Wissant are multiplying the developments. Spikes of wood are planted on the beach as a breakwater or fir trees, placed on the dune, help retain the sand. The beach is regularly replenished with sand to stabilize the coastline. “These methods are not enough but they have the merit of existing. If they weren’t there, it would be even more catastrophic. In the short and medium term, we can protect but in the long term, I don’t know how climate change will evolve“, testifies Laurence Prouvot, the mayor of Wissant.