Economic and human stakes : to accept to retreat of the coast
La Manga del Mar Menor began to be urbanised in the 1960s with the expansion of coastal tourism along the Spanish coasts. Since then, speculation and the massive development of coastal infrastructures have led to the loss of biodiversity and dune ecosystems that naturally protected the coastline. La Manga, a strip of sand between the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor, began to be urbanized in the 1960s with the expansion of coastal tourism on the Spanish coasts. The massive urbanization causes the disappearance of the dunes, the erosion of the beaches and the loss of the biodiversity and the ecosystems that protected the coast in a natural way. Erosion is accentuated by storms. Therefore, the strip is seriously threatened and the consequences are already being felt: the quality of life is deteriorating. For the most part, the damage done is not resolvable. The artificialization of the area does not allow a gradual adaptation and strategic retreat from the coast seems to be the only sustainable solution. Maybe it would be better to retreat now, before it's too late?
