Changes in wave impact on the Flemish coast due to increased mean sea level

A numerical model has been used to study the effect of sea level rise on the wave climate along a stretch of the Belgian coast which lies adjacent to a linear sand bank system. Results of the model have been interpreted to permit predictions of total and local wave height and energy variation under the assumption that the banks do not respond quickly to rises in mean sea level. Results show that substantial variations in wave energy change occur along the coast under a uniform mean sea level rise. Average wave energy impacting the coast is predicted to increase by the order of 10% by 2130 under the wave conditions tested and the sea level rise scenario used.