Miles Of Palomino Beach, Popular Colombian Resort, Retreating By Average Of 45-50 Meters Every Year

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Despite the frustration, it came as no surprise to Villamizar. In the 12 years of owning his restaurant on Palomino beach in the Guajira region on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, he has had to rebuild and move it 10 times because of rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Since last December alone, he has had to relocate four times; his rebuilt restaurant sits on an estuary where the Palomino River meets the Caribbean Sea. In recent years, two fellow restaurateurs have been forced to close due to damage caused by the erosion.

“We are losing the beach very, very quickly. We are scared of rebuilding; it’s worrisome to lose money again,” Villamizar says, standing among his restaurant’s red plastic tables crowded with customers. “But we must keep rebuilding and finding new ways to keep fighting, as much as the sea will let us, because this is our livelihood.”

The entire coastline of Palomino, a laid-back beach town, is on the frontline of Colombia’s battle against erosion. Storms and the relentless battering by the waves naturally contribute to the problem, but have been made worse by the rising sea level, a consequence of the climate crisis. In addition, human activities – such as deforestation, urbanisation, housing developments, walls and breakwaters – have aggravated the problem. An independent 2022 study of coastal changes in Palomino between 1985 and 2020, estimated that the shoreline retreated about 20 to 30 metres every 10 years, but the process appears to be speeding up. In the past 10 years, it has receded by between 47 and 50 metres along almost four kilometres of beach, according to the state’s maritime authorities.

Palomino is one of Colombia’s most attractive beaches and the town has become a popular destination with backpackers and families. The long stretch of fine sand is flanked by tropical forests and punctuated by palm trees, set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and hosts a string of friendly beachfront hostels and restaurants.

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https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/oct/15/the-sea-came-in-and-took-it-all-away-the-colombian-beach-resort-facing-a-public-calamity

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