Unseasonal coastal erosion is intensifying along Barbados’ shores, with the country’s top coastal protection expert warning that unusual freshwater outflows from South America’s largest rivers are raising sea levels around the island at a time when beaches should be naturally rebuilding.

Rising sea levels are threatening the island’s famed shorelines during a time of year when they should normally be recovering, said the director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Dr Leo Brewster.

Dr Leo Brewster Director, Coastal Zone Management Unit. (Photo credit: Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)