Phil Dyke National Trust ‘Almost a decade ago the National Trust investigated how our coastline was likely to change over the next 100 years. Out of this research came the seminal Shifting Shores report (2005), which held one clear message — as a nation we can no longer build our way out of trouble on the coast. Fast-forward to this past winter and a succession of violent storms and extreme tides saw the erosion and flooding we thought could happen over the next 5 to 15 years occurring overnight. Increasingly, ‘defence’ as the only response looks implausible. Instead we must adapt and take the longer view.

Today the Trust cares for more than 742 miles of coastline, almost a tenth of the total in

England, Wales and Northern Ireland — from sand dunes and saltmarshes to villages and harbours. And through our Shifting Shores work we are already putting into practice adaptive approaches to management. There will be places where we continue to maintain sea defences. But we’re clear that we should make use of these structures to buy time to develop more long-term and sustainable

approaches to managing our future coast based on adaptation.’ To read more click here