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Erosion is a natural process, which is accelerated by the rising waters linked to global warming. Many municipalities are looking for solutions to these collapses.
In Bidart (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), landslides took place facing the ocean. After a dry summer, heavy rains caused the clay blocks to collapse. “It’s very dangerous, because we don’t know what the end of the course of the blocks will be”, notes Emmanuel Alzuri, mayor of Bidart. The city tries to slow down the process of erosion and is classified as a common risk. A residential area is located near the coast. The ribs recede on average by 20 centimeters per year. Houses are destroyed preventively.
Erosion is a normal process, but rising sea levels, linked to global warming, could accelerate it. “Because of this phenomenon, there is an increase in cliff retreat speeds, which could, in some sectors, double the current speeds”, says Stéphane Costa, professor of geography at the University of Caen (Calvados). The town of Le Tilleul, near the cliffs of Étretat (Seine-Maritime), experienced two collapses within a month of each other. Walkers still venture under the cliff every day. The coastal path has been moved back ten meters.