Waves up to four metres high burst through dykes and flooded part of a popular beach resort close to Lisbon on Wednesday, highlighting the growing threat of erosion to Portugal's Atlantic coastline. In the early hours of Wednesday, a campsite in Costa da Caparica was partly submerged at high tide after waves burst through a 400-metre long barrier and destroyed camper trailers.

"I've been living here for 23 years and have never seen the ocean gain so much ground," said Luis Santos, director of Lisbon's camping club. "It's urgent that authorities build dykes to protect this area." The government has said it is doing all it can to stop coastal erosion, which many believe is caused by elements related to global warming, such as rising waters.

"It is not easy to guess what locations are at risk of a storm. There are about 10 places in the country with the same vulnerability," said Orlando Borges, president of Portugal's water institute, according to news agency Lusa. Recent floods may be just a sign of things to come. Local Journal Agua & Ambiente said in a report there were at least 1,000 homes along Portugal's coast under threat from the sea. Coastal erosion also threatens cliffs in Portugal. Several have collapsed in recent years, sometimes causing deaths.
(Planet Ark, 22/03/2007)