France adopts 60 measures to adapt its coastlines to coastal erosion by 2030

With nearly 20.000 km of coastline and 947 coastal municipalities, France is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Erosion, marine submersion, and rising sea levels are now forcing local authorities to rethink the long-term planning of their territories.

Decree No. 2026-803 of August 20, 2026 adopts the new National Strategy for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (SNGITC) for the period 2025-2030. Established by the Climate and Resilience Law, this becomes the national reference framework for anticipating and supporting the evolution of the coastline.

An adaptation that has become essential

According to the reference warming trajectory for adaptation to climate change (TRACC), mainland France and Corsica must prepare for an average warming of around 4°C by 2100. The Government also considers, for adaptation planning, the assumption of a sea level rise of close to one meter over the next hundred and one hundred years.

This evolution will not affect all territories uniformly. Geology, vertical ground movements, exposure to waves and storms, tides, and the presence of protective structures strongly influence the vulnerability of each sector.

The national strategy therefore aims to provide communities with reliable data, planning tools and technical support enabling them to choose a trajectory adapted to their local situation.

Accelerate local mapping of coastal erosion

The stated priority is to accelerate the development and adoption of local coastal evolution maps . These documents must represent the areas likely to be exposed to coastal erosion over the next thirty and one hundred years.

Their integration into urban planning documents allows local authorities to anticipate the consequences of erosion on buildings, infrastructure, networks, and economic activities. It also prerequisites the implementation of several tools provided for by the Climate and Resilience Law to regulate urbanization and gradually organize the redevelopment of threatened areas.

A practical guide developed with Cerema is due to be published in the fall of 2026 to support elected officials and technical services in defining their local strategies.

Five key areas for organizing action until 2030

To deepen and share knowledge

The strategy includes updating the National Coastal Erosion Indicator, strengthening the National Network of Coastal Observatories and developing new methods for data acquisition and processing.

Satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, modeling and digital twins should in particular improve the observation of phenomena and the creation of projections incorporating sea level rise.

Engaging territories in a trajectory of adaptation

Local authorities are encouraged to develop local strategies that integrate urban planning, risk management, land policy, and investment programming. These approaches must be consistent with the National Strategy for the Sea and the Coastline, the third National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, and various territorial planning documents.

Mobilize several adaptation solutions

The SNGITC encourages the use of nature-based solutions , including dune restoration, coastal renaturalization and the reconstitution of environments capable of mitigating the effect of waves.

It also supports spatial redevelopment projects, which may lead to the gradual relocation of housing, facilities, or activities that are too exposed. The creation or maintenance of structures such as dikes and riprap must, for its part, be assessed in light of their costs, lifespan, and impact on neighboring areas.

Train and raise awareness among stakeholders

The training of elected officials and technical staff must be strengthened to facilitate the understanding and application of scientific data and regulatory tools. The government also intends to develop a risk awareness culture among the general public.

The application "The coastline of my municipality" , developed with Cerema, is intended to allow each citizen to consult the main data relating to the evolution of the coastline, local issues and adaptation measures undertaken in their municipality.

Better mobilization of existing funding

The fifth area of ​​focus concerns the mobilization of existing public funding, including the Green Climate Fund and several European programs. State agencies will need to support local authorities in identifying these resources and developing their projects.

However, the strategy does not, at this stage, create a new national budget specifically allocated to coastal adaptation. The ability of local areas to finance spatial restructuring operations, which are often lengthy and costly, will therefore remain a central challenge for its implementation.

A new national indicator based on 126.000 profiles

Published on GéoLittoral, the 2026 National Coastal Erosion Indicator is based on approximately 126.000 profiles distributed every fifty meters. It compares old and recent aerial photographs to measure the evolution of the shoreline over several periods.

The results indicate that approximately 20% of natural coastlines are receding. Including areas whose position is maintained by structures, 27,6% of the coastline is affected. This proportion reaches 50,1% in beach areas.

However, the national analysis does not reveal a uniform acceleration of erosion across the entire territory. Nearly half of the beach profiles even show a change in trend depending on the periods observed. The indicator is therefore a useful tool for knowledge and decision-making, but it must be supplemented by local studies before any development or protection project is defined.

“Living with the receding coastline”

The new strategy reflects a shift in the public approach: it is no longer solely about systematically protecting the coastline with infrastructure, but about learning to live with its evolution. Depending on the characteristics of the areas, the solutions may combine protection, building adaptation, restoration of nature, land management, or gradual relocation.

For Monique Barbut, Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature: “Our coastlines are already facing the effects of climate change. We must therefore give local authorities the knowledge, tools and resources necessary to anticipate these changes and make the right decisions at the right time. This strategy must enable them to develop, with all stakeholders, responses tailored to each territory.”

The effective deployment of this strategy will now depend on the adoption of local maps, their translation into urban planning documents and the ability of local authorities to program and finance their adaptation operations.