The UK Sand Dune and Shingle Network: opportunities and challenges for European coastal sand dune conservation management.

Abstract Sand mobility in European coastal dunes was traditional viewed as a problem to be solved and literally ‘fixed’. These attitudes were challenged by the emergence of the dynamic approach to coastal dune management, a concept proposed at the 1987 European Dune Symposium in Leiden, The Netherlands. This meeting led to the launch of the European Union for Dune Conservation and Coastal Management (EUDC) and was followed by a series of international dune conferences across Europe. In 1993 the interests of the EUDC were broadened to consider a wider agenda based on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). This meant that there was no longer a dedicated European resource for sand dunes. In the UK the Sand Dune and Shingle Network was formed in 2006, and its work is described here in addition to the development of a European Dune Network. The current challenges and responses for European coastal dune conservation are outlined, and examples provided. The paper concludes with a call for a strong European Dune Network to support the urgent actions required for the conservation of dunes as dynamic landscapes