the Martinican coastline at the mercy of rising waters and erosion

Salines Beach is a pride of Martinique, a place tourists are willing to travel thousands of miles for. However, it is no longer just a strip of sand on the shore. “The beach is so eaten away that you can no longer lay down and spend the day on the beach, otherwise you are directly in the water”, explains a woman on the shore. The island is increasingly hard hit by rising waters and erosion. Each year, the coast recedes from 30 centimeters to one meter.

In a few decades, the village of Prêcheur has been transformed. “We have a whole part that has disappeared. It takes 40-50 meters [de plage en moins]”, confides Jean-Guy Gabriel, fisherman. In the village, the coastal road and dozens of buildings are in danger of disappearing. In Martinique, the water is rising three times faster than 40 years ago. In the decades to come, most coastal towns will have to move.