Romania, the tamed coast

Romania’s 250 kilometers of Black Sea coastline are rapidly changing. Coastal erosion is rampant along much of the coastline: it is greatest in the north, where the effects of the scarcity of sediment retained by dams and rising sea levels compound natural processes. However, it is a major economic issue on the beaches of central and southern Romania, frequented by millions of tourists each year and home to industrial ports like Constanta. A colossal coastal defense project, funded by European Cohesion funds, is drastically transforming the coastal landscape, making it increasingly artificial.