Forming part of the European ICZM network , it is designed to demonstrate the practice of Integrated Coastal Zone Management by developing and implementing sustainable uses of dune systems. This is a continuous process with the general aim of implementing sustainable development in coastal zones and maintaining their diversity. Beaches and Sand Dunes Dunes are accumulations of sand blown from the beach by the wind.
Dunes also provide an important natural defence against coastal erosion.
It is not uncommon for storms to erode the seaward edge of dunes but in doing so, the sand that is released onto the beach acts to reduce the impact of the storm. In the weeks and months that follow, sand is gradually returned to the beach and the dune reforms as sand is blown onto it. Sand Dune Conservation and Management Globally, sand dunes are fast disappearing the result of the large range of human activities concentrated at the coast. Dunes in Donegal are generally less developed, and are of international importance for wildlife. However, they area now under threat from intensive recreation and inappropriate uses, such as overgrazing, dumping and sand extraction.