Belgium is one of the countries most exposed to climate change. Dune–dikes are a solution to curb sea-level rise.
In recent years, artificial dunes stretching hundreds of metres have been built in some coastal villages in northern Belgium. The government has funded the testing of new land-protection systems against storm surges and sea-level rise, two challenges the country is increasingly facing as a direct consequence of climate change.
Belgium has long been engaged in various projects aimed at protecting and safeguarding its coastal areas, with priority given to infrastructure that is as natural as possible, such as artificial dunes. Built from a base of wooden lattices, vegetation, and sand dredged from the sea, these structures have gradually grown naturally over time under the influence of wind and waves, proving their effectiveness. So much so that other countries are now moving to launch similar pilot projects.
From the 1950s to today, sea level in Ostend, a coastal city in northern Belgium, has risen by about 20 centimetres. This increase has accelerated over the past decade, with sea levels rising by around 5 millimetres per year since 2015, a rate higher than the global average.
Belgium is among the territories most at risk from the effects of climate change. On the one hand, global warming is causing sea levels to rise and storm surges to become more frequent and intense; on the other, parts of the country are sinking below sea level due to erosion caused by acid rain and mining activity—a phenomenon known as subsidence. This further increases Belgium’s vulnerability to rising seas.
In 2011, the Flemish government presented a coastal flood protection plan. While structures such as dikes and barriers were already in place, authorities decided to reinforce existing defences and build new ones, while respecting natural processes as much as possible. This led to the idea of creating artificial dunes.
The technical term used is dune–dike. It refers to “a hybrid, nature-based approach that combines natural dunes with artificial dikes to provide resilient, adaptable, and sustainable coastal protection,” as explained by DuneFront, a research project that, together with Living Labs, is developing hybrid solutions for Belgium’s coastal defence.
The pilot projects were launched in four locations: Raversijde, Knokke-Heist, Spinoladijk, and Middelkerke. Implemented between 2021 and 2023, the projects involved constructing grids made of willow branches and grasses, filled with sand dredged offshore, which is retained thanks to the wood and vegetation. Plant species were then added to the dunes to trap additional sand carried by wind and waves during storms. A report by the Flemish government noted that significant sand accumulation occurred in all four sites within the first year, with dunes already reaching heights of more than 2.5 metres.
As reported by Mongabay, these artificial dune–dikes have also fostered high biodiversity. Plant species such as sea radish, buckwheat, and sand oat have appeared, while insects including blue-winged grasshoppers, dune tiger beetles, and tremolo butterflies have been observed. Bird species may follow in the near future.
The ongoing experiment in Belgium could soon be extended to other locations. At the same time, some adjustments are needed, as offshore sand dredging poses challenges by altering marine ecosystems and removing sand from shallow waters—sand that could otherwise help slow sea-level rise. Nonetheless, the dune–dikes have so far proven to be a positive model, particularly during Storm Benjamin, which hit the Belgian coast in autumn.
It is therefore no coincidence that other European countries have decided to replicate the experiment. DuneFront is currently designing new systems for Dunkirk in France and Zandmotor in the Netherlands, while expressions of interest have also come from Germany, Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark.
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