Gas grab and global warming could wipe out Wadden Sea heritage site

The world's largest unbroken intertidal system and a haven for migratory birds on the Dutch coastline is at risk of sinking out of existence

The world's largest unbroken intertidal system of sand and mud flats could sink beneath the waves by the end of the century due to sea level rise and subsidence caused by gas drills funded by Barclays and other international banks.

The Unesco world heritage site at the Wadden Sea on the Dutch coast stretches over 10,000 sq km. Its saltmarshes, sandy shoals, dunes and mussel beds host millions of migratory birds every year, as well as thousands of basking seals.