Rising sea levels and coastal erosion inflict over €1 billion in economic damages across Europe each year.
Sea-news.az reports that was highlighted in a Council of Europe report titled “How to Combat Coastal Erosion?”.
According to experts, without urgent mitigation measures, annual economic losses across 28 European nations could surge to €800 billion by the end of the century. Consequently, the Council of Europe recommends restricting new development along shorelines and relocating residential properties, commercial facilities, road networks, and rail infrastructure further inland to climate-resilient zones (“managed retreat”).
The report notes that over 25 percent of the European coastline is currently experiencing erosion. In France, more than 900 kilometers of shoreline have retreated, impacting over 500 municipalities. In the Normandy municipality of Quiberville-sur-Mer, a €9 million managed retreat project relocated a public campsite inland, resulting in a 25 percent increase in municipal revenue.
In historical coastal cities such as Venice, a 0.5-meter sea-level rise would require €4.5 billion for protective dykes and over €30 billion for massive barrier construction. Should sea levels rise by 4.5 meters (projected beyond the year 2300), the complete relocation of the city, its residents, and historical monuments could cost upwards of €100 billion.
Notably, coastal regions generate 40 percent of the European Union’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with 80 percent of low-lying coastal areas facing future erosion risks.
