Occupation du sol suivant la distance à la mer entre 2012 et 2018

• Land use is distinctive along the coast. This characteristic, pronounced within 2,000 m of the shoreline, gradually diminishes further inland. Thus, in the band between 5,000 and 10,000 m from the coast, the distribution of the five main land-use types approaches that of the mainland average. • The closer to the coast, the greater the share of developed land. Within 500 m of the shore, it covers 30% of the land, compared to only 8% between 5,000 and 10,000 m from the coast. This is 5 times higher than the mainland average of 6%. • The picture reverses for agricultural land. It covers only 30% of coastal areas, compared to nearly double (59%) between 5,000 and 10,000 m from the coast, with the mainland average at 59.5%. • Forests and semi-natural areas cover 31% of territories within 500 m of the coast. This level is close to the mainland average of 34%. Between 500 and 2,000 m from the shore, this proportion is lower, at less than 26%. • Wetlands and water surfaces cover nearly 9% of areas within 500 m of the coast, compared to 4.5% in the band between 5 and 10 km from the coast and 1% at the mainland scale. • In conclusion, the coast is characterized by land use equally divided among developed zones, agricultural land, and forests and semi-natural areas.

• Territories within 500 m of the sea show strong distinctive features. Urbanized areas (continuous and discontinuous urban fabric) occupy 23% of the territory, 5 times more than the mainland average. This ratio is 4 for industrial or commercial zones and communication networks (port sites) and 10 for artificial green spaces (golf courses, leisure facilities, etc.). • Natural habitats are also very present along the coast. Open spaces cover 7% of this coastal band (beaches, dunes, rocky areas, etc.). This is 4 times more than the mainland average. The ratio is nearly 3 for shrubland and grassland vegetation (heathlands, maquis, grasslands, etc.). Conversely, certain land-use types are underrepresented along the coast. These include arable land, permanent crops (orchards and vineyards), grasslands, and forests. They are three to four times less significant within 500 m of the coast than across the mainland territory.

• Regardless of the maritime facade, developed territories occupy more than a quarter of areas within 500 m of the sea. Higher levels of development notably concern the coastlines of the Alpes-Maritimes, Loire-Atlantique, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nord, and Var departments. Development there exceeds 50% of the affected territory. • Along the Eastern Channel - North Sea and North Atlantic - Western Channel facades, agricultural land represents more than 40% of territories within 500 m of the sea. In the South Atlantic and Mediterranean facades, these areas represent only 22% and 8%, respectively. Agricultural territories occupy roughly 50% of the territory close to the coast in the departments of Seine-Maritime, Ille-et-Vilaine, Manche, Finistère, and Côtes-d'Armor. • Forests and semi-natural areas dominate southern France, the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions (shrubland and/or grassland habitats in the Mediterranean and forests and open spaces in South Atlantic). This land-use type represents more than 60% of the coastal band in the departments of Landes, South Corsica, and Upper Corsica. • Wetlands and water surfaces are more abundant in departments ranging from Aude to Bouches-du-Rhône, as well as in Somme and Eure, where this land-use type represents more than 20% of the coastal territory within 500 m of the coast.

• Between 2012 and 2018, a total of 4,850 ha were developed across all lands within 10 km of the sea, representing 0.14% of the coastal territory concerned. This area is twice as low as that developed between 2000 and 2006 (9,930 ha) and between 2006 and 2012 (10,250 ha). • In mainland France, over the same period, newly developed land accounted for only 0.08% of the territory, or 42,290 ha. The dynamics of soil development were nearly 2 times stronger on the coast within 10 km of the sea than across the entire mainland territory. On the 10 km coastal band, development intensity is greatest between 5,000 and 10,000 m from the coast, with 2,350 ha developed between 2012 and 2016, representing 0.16% of the coastal territory concerned. • Within 10 km of the sea, agricultural surfaces declined by approximately 4,000 ha and forests and semi-natural areas by 870 ha. For agricultural territories, the greatest regression occurs in the band between 5,000 and 10,000 m from the coast. The farther from the sea, the more development occurs at the expense of agricultural land. • Within 500 m of the coast, the regression of forests and semi-natural areas is most significant.

• Developed areas across the four maritime facades expanded within the 10 km band between 2012 and 2018. This dynamic represents 1,800 ha around the Mediterranean, slightly more than 1,000 ha in the Eastern Channel - North Sea and North Atlantic - Western Channel facades, and 700 ha in South Atlantic. • Considering the proportion of territory affected by these new developments, the highest rates concern the Mediterranean facade, with 0.17% of coastal territory developed from 2012 to 2018. For the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Eastern Channel - North Sea facades, the 10 km coastal band area developed increased by 0.11%, 0.14%, and 0.15%, respectively. • For the North and South Atlantic facades, development intensity is slightly stronger from 1,000 m inland than at the shoreline. Conversely, for the Eastern Channel - North Sea facade, the share of developed territories is greater within 500 m of the sea (0.27%), especially in the Nord department. • At a distance of 1,000 to 2,000 m from the sea, the share of developed territories is high in many departments from the Belgian border to the Basque Country, except for Somme, Eure, Calvados, and Nord (where development actually decreased in the latter two departments). It is also high in this territorial band in Hérault and Aude. Finally, in the Mediterranean, the share of developed territory is 0.24% in the band between 5,000 and 10,000 m. The highest rates concern the Pyrénées-Orientales and Hérault departments.

• Methodology • This study uses the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) geographic database for the periods 2000-2006, 2006-2012, and 2012-2018. This database inventories land use across 44 categories grouped into 5 main types: developed territories, agricultural land, forests and semi-natural areas, wetlands, and water surfaces. • The analysis focuses on the coastal territory within 10 km of the sea. This was divided into successive bands: 0 to 500 m from the sea, 500 to 1,000 m, 1,000 to 2,000 m, 2,000 to 5,000 m, and 5,000 to 10,000 m. • The CLC database, defined at the 1:100,000 scale, accounts only for entities with an area greater than 25 ha and land-use changes exceeding 5 ha. Its use thus captures the broad patterns of changes affecting the coast; however, it does not allow analysis of, for example, scattered development in rural or peri-urban areas. • Author: Statistical Studies and Data Service (SDES).