The picturesque coastal village of Fairbourne in Wales is to be swallowed up by rising sea levels. For some time now scientists have been warning us about the possible consequences of global warming - most notable of which being a rise in sea levels fueled by the melting of the ice caps.
Low-lying coastal regions will be most at risk over the next few decades, but for one small village on the west coast of Wales, the worst case scenario has all but happened already.
Home to around 1100 people, Fairbourne resides right at the edge of the sea and now the local council, fearing that its existing defenses will be insufficient to stem rising sea levels, has decided that the entire village should be decommissioned and simply abandoned to the waves.
The plan has been universally condemned by the village's residents who have since nicknamed the place "the village of the damned" due to the fact that it has now become almost impossible to sell houses there and no businesses want to invest money in the area.
"In the medium term over the next 50 years plans have to have been put in place and implemented to abandon defences and for the people to relocate," the council wrote.
"Even in attempting to defend people this risk is such that should defences be overtopped, or worse still breached, then the consequences would be immense and put people’s lives at risk."
Efforts to challenge the decision and to claim compensation from the council are now ongoing.
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