Is saline farming a shape shifter? Review of the debate on and policies for climate adaptation at the Flemish coast (2005-2017)

As we have entered the age of global warming, coastal regions need to adapt to multiple climate challenges, including the salinization of low-lying areas. Both natural drivers, such as droughts and sea-level rise, and human drivers, for example an unsustainable management of surface water and groundwater, exacerbate the saline conditions at the coast (Oude Essink, 2001; Daliakopoulos et al., 2016; De Waegemaeker, 2019). Hence, the question rises how agricultural activities can be adapted to this saline future.
One pathway, amongst many others, is the cultivation of salt-tolerant crops in farmland that is subjected to salinization, a strategy known as saline farming. The international presence at this conference illustrates how saline farming is researched and debate throughout the world.