Sea level rise in unexpected places

In the United States we pay attention to our own problems and sometimes ignore difficulties elsewhere.  After writing about sea level rise in America and the problems it is causing now and will do more in the future, it is a surprise to discover a village in Wales is experiencing already many of the difficulties our resorts will face later.  Fairbourne built on a salt marsh that sits below high tides already and is defended by a sea wall.  Natural Resources Wales the government office making decisions about the future has declared uninhabitable with sea level rise.  Thus managed realignment or managed retreat in the U.S. is the policy the village now faces.  Unsurprisingly house prices have collapsed, mortgages are problematic and try to get insurance when the government says your property has no long term future.  The village refuses to accept all of this and fights to maintain a future.  For its part is the government willing to pay for the whole village to move elsewhere which means providing about 450 homes.  Stay tuned.  One has to feel for the villagers and their now uncertain future.  Yet these same issues will arise as state governments and the federal government adopt similar policies–yes build a sea wall knowing it has a limited future, but governments in America are moving to adopt managed retreat as a way of letting the sea have its way.  California has already announced such a policy but not yet made it law, others are following.  How many will want to keep a beach house you cannot insure or build one when you can’t get a mortgage?  Stay tuned