Buying out threatened oceanfront homes is not a crazy idea – Coastal Review

Collapsed house in Rodanthe on evening of Feb. 9, 2022 (courtesy National Park Service, public domain via Flickr).

The oceanfront shoreline of Rodanthe has one of the highest erosion rates on the U.S. East Coast (recently upwards of 20 feet per year). Many homes that were initially constructed well back from the beach are now at risk of constant flooding and imminent collapse. A typical response to this erosion in Dare County (and most coastal communities) would be the implementation of a beach nourishment project. It is unclear whether this is practical for Rodanthe, as the geologic setting is problematic…

French Government Will Destroy Houses of Storm Survivors – the Epoch Times

Damage caused by Cyclone Xynthia in the Port of Angoulins, France (by Thierry Llansades CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr).

The French government has decided to stay firm on its decision to destroy more than 1,500 houses in areas of “extreme danger” along the Atlantic coast. The decision follows the deaths of 53 people from storm “Xynthia,” the violent winter storm that battered Europe’s west coast on Feb. 28. Hope had risen among residents that they could save their homes following a statement made by Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux…”There could be individual, precise, and discrete situations that could need a deepened analysis…”

As California attempts a ‘managed retreat,’ coastal homeowners sue to stay – Grist Magazine

Half Moon Bay (by Don Claus CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr).

“We’re in this dilemma of figuring out, how do you convince the community to move?” said (Gary) Griggs.

Mirada Road is a small cul-de-sac that runs right up to the edge of the Pacific Ocean, skirting the rim of a 30-foot bluff. The townhomes on this street, which is located in Half Moon Bay, California, are separated from the sea by nothing but a pedestrian walking trail on a beach that is eroding a few inches every year…

Cities Are Rapidly Reclaiming Land at Risk of Extreme Sea Level Rise – Hakai

The World Islands from the air in construction (by Carlos Bustamante Restrepo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr).

As the sea rises and the population booms, builders around the world are in a race to transform coastal bays and shallow seas into new land. Yet don’t mistake this rush of land reclamation as a response to the challenges we face. “It’s built for rich people,” explains Dhritiraj Sengupta, a physical geographer at England’s University of Southampton. Sengupta’s latest research shows there’s been a huge increase in the use of reclaimed land for luxury hotels, shopping areas, and high-end living spaces—developments designed to boost a city’s global reputation…

Hemsby: How many other communities are at risk of erosion? – BBC News

Happisburgh, Norfolk(by Martin CC BY-ND 2.0 via Flickr).

Coastal erosion claimed three homes in Hemsby last weekend and a further two properties in the village are deemed at serious risk. Are there other Hemsbys along the coast and what can be done to protect the communities which live there?

The East Anglian coastline is no stranger to coastal erosion…

Why are Tunisia’s beaches disappearing and what does it mean for the country? – Reuters

Fishing Boats in the Old Hammamat - Tunisia (by Ghassan Tabet CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr).

Rising sea levels are causing Tunisia’s beaches to gradually disappear. This is making life hard for the country’s tourism and fishing industries.

The Maghreb – made up of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya – is more affected by coastal erosion than any region outside South Asia, the World Bank found in a 2021 study. Among these countries, Tunisia has had the highest erosion rates in the last three decades, averaging almost 70cm a year, it found…