by Mary Louis

Huge tracts of countryside around Deal and Sandwich could
be swamped and lost to the sea forever in coming decades, according
to a Kent expert.

This grim fate applies to south Kent's three major golf
courses and would decimate the area's rich and diverse
wildlife.

Nearly a third of east Kent is likely to sink below
the waves by 2200, says Dr Geoff Meaden.

"Call of the Wild: What Kent's wildlife and countryside
tells us about climate change," will be his subject and that of
another county expert, RSPB Kent site manager Michael Walter, in
Deal on Friday, April 16.

Dr Meaden said: "Given the accelerating rate of sea level
rise, within the first half of this century we will see a desperate
struggle to maintain most of the land between Deal and
Sandwich.

"Since the land will be too expensive to defend, it is
more than likely that the authorities will allow this fresh-water
marsh and grassland to revert to salt marsh.

"The Prince's, Royal St George's and Cinque Port golf
links will be temporarily isolated on a narrow coastal shingle
ridge before they too disappear beneath the sea during the next
century."

Because Dover is on higher ground the effects would be
less severe. The harbour walls would likely need to be raised and
there would be some risk to buildings in the immediate vicinity.
The famous white cliffs were also likely to suffer some
damage.

Dr Meaden is an active, leading environmental campaigner, who has just retired as principal geography lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Mr Walter has seen many changes in wildlife patterns at the Blean Woods National Nature Reserve in the past 28 years, probably connected with climate change.

He said: "There is a real danger of prey and predator life
cycles becoming decoupled and of many species, from insects through
to trees, becoming extinct.

"The whole appearance and ecology of the reserve, and much
of the Kent countryside, could change dramatically in the next 50
years or so."