Coastal communities must plan now for retreat from coastlines, report warns
Published: 28 October 2026
A University of Glasgow researcher has played a key role in preparing a new Council of Europe report which provides a stark warning for coastal communities about the mounting challenges of climate-change-driven erosion.
A University of Glasgow researcher has played a key role in preparing a new Council of Europe report which provides a stark warning for coastal communities about the mounting challenges of climate-change-driven erosion.
Professor Larissa Naylor of the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences was the sole independent expert on How can we cope with coastal erosion, a report prepared by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
The report was presented by co-rapporteurs Anthony Buchanan (United Kingdom, ILDG) and Fanis Spanos (Greece, EPP/CCE) in a resolution and recommendation adopted during the Council’s 51 session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 27 October.
They pointed out that across the European Union and the United Kingdom, economic losses due to coastal erosion exceeded €1 billion per year and could escalate to €800 billion annually by the end of the century if effective action is not taken.
The report makes clear that for many of Europe’s coasts there should now be an urgent movement towards “planned retreat” in which new development is banned or restricted and homes, businesses and assets – including road and rail – are moved to more climate resilient places inland.
For example, France estimates that around 900 kilometres of mainland coastline are receding, with more than 500 municipalities affected. In Quiberville-sur-Mer, a €9 million investment moved a public campsite inland; the report says municipal revenue subsequently rose by 25%.
Professor Naylor’s contributions to the report draw on her expertise on coastal geomorphology, which has also been harnessed by authorities including the Scottish Government for the Dynamic Coast project, the World Bank Inspection Panel, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their fourth and fifth Assessments.
Professor Naylor said: “This report highlights the urgent need for new approaches to coastal erosion and management as sea levels continue to rise and extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change. Set against growing evidence that sea level rise is accelerating and will continue to increase, it warns of long-term transformation of coastal landscapes, unavoidable land loss, and impacts on human rights, including the rights to life, private life and property.
“Traditional coastal protection measures, such as sea walls and engineered barriers, are becoming increasingly expensive and are less likely to provide effective long-term solutions. The report therefore recommends reframing them as short-term protection measures while more sustainable, forward-looking responses are developed where practicable.
“For most of Europe’s coasts, the report identifies planned retreat, through avoiding new development and relocating existing assets, as the most viable long-term management approach. This will involve restricting development and relocating homes, businesses, services and infrastructure from vulnerable coastal areas to more climate-resilient locations inland. To achieve this, local and regional authorities must play a leading role within a multilevel, multi-sector approach, supported by community engagement, technical and logistical expertise, adequate funding, transparent communication, inclusive planning and sustained political support. Together, these measures can build community readiness and enable the transformative adjustments needed to ensure long-term coastal resilience.”
Mr Spanos said: “Europe’s coastlines are among our most valuable assets. They host major infrastructure, support vital economic activity, and are centres of cultural and natural heritage. Nearly half of Europe’s population lives near a coast. Today, over a quarter of Europe’s coastline is eroding. Continued occupation of high-risk zones puts families, livelihoods, and heritage at risk, raising concerns on human rights to life, to private life and property.”
Mr Buchanan said: “Defending Europe’s coasts with traditional methods such as sea walls is becoming less sustainable as sea levels rise has doubled in recent years and is on course to rise by another 44 cm by 2100, while storms are becoming more intense and frequent and extreme storm surges are likely to occur 20-30 times more often by 2050.”
The resolution adopted by Congress says that:
- 40% of Europe’s GDP comes from coastal regions and 80% of its low-elevation coast is at risk of future erosion – better planning and relocation now would save money later;
- local and regional authorities should play a leading role in moving assets inland, including through planning policies, granting temporary use of land and innovating with dismountable buildings and assets;
- they must update risk maps, introduce and periodically review no-build and buffer zones, and make adaptation plans that assess the legal, social and financial consequences of different choices;
- adaptation must be developed with the people affected – transparent consultation, public information and sustained political support are essential, alongside measures to protect livelihoods, coastal heritage and vulnerable communities;
- making space for beaches, dunes and wetlands to move inland can also help preserve natural habitats and their wider benefits.
In its recommendation, the Congress called on national authorities to provide the legal frameworks, funding, expertise and support needed to make planned relocation fair and workable — including buy-out and relocation assistance, time-limited leases and insurance arrangements.
First published: 28 October 2026