Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition Elisabeth Borne is expected to head to the Channel tomorrow (FRI) to talk about the erosion of the coastal line from rising sea levels and discuss plans to relocate locals.

The minister said that from 5,000 to 50,000 people will have to be relocated. She was speaking after storm Ciara hit the UK and France. She is heading to the Manche department in north-western France’s Normandy region to discuss the issue on Friday.

Borne said: “Now we have no choice, we will have to avoid new constructions and relocate a certain number of dwellings and equipment.”

She added: “On some of our territory, the shore is receding at a rate of 50 centimetres to 1.5 metres (20 inches to 5 feet) every year.”

The French government reportedly wants to relocate between 5,000 and 50,000 people from the coast between now and 2100.

She said: “We want to give elected officials tools to identify the areas that are threatened in the medium term, that is to say in less than 30 years.”

The minister also said on French radio ‘Franceinfo’ that “the state is applying to itself the same ecological transformations we want to lead the country through.”

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