Scientists predict that rising sea levels could put half the world's beaches under water by the end of the century. They blame climate change. The scientists are from the European Commission. They warned that beaches in tourist hot-spots are threatened by erosion from increasing sea levels. Well-known beaches in Australia's Surfers' Paradise, the islands of Hawaii, Brazil's Copacabana Beach, and the Costa del Sol in Spain could disappear.

Countries like The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau in Africa could lose 60% of their beaches. Australia could lose 12,000km of its beaches. The researchers said: "A substantial proportion of the world's sandy coastline is already eroding." They said we could see, "the near extinction of the world's sandy beaches". There are two ways we can help to save the beaches. One is to reduce emissions; the other is to manage our coastline in a more sustainable way.