Page 10 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

Where Will They Go?

Are these Welsh Villagers to become the first Climate Change Refugees?

By Ivor Hughes

Growing up in Fairbourne,
Wales, the sea helped define my
childhood: Long summer days at
the beach, swimming, running
up and down sand dunes, the
wind swirling the smell of salt
across our village.
But now the sea has turned
friend to enemy as scientists say
climate change is causing sea
levels to rise—and forcing vil-
lagers to possibly start retreating
in just three years. Within 30
years, the whole village will be Looking across the Mawddach Estury towards the village of
abandoned. And between now The village of Fairbourne on Cardigan Bay. Fairbourne from Panorama Walk above Barmouth.
and then, villagers face an The village is protected from the sea by shingle banks,
uncertain future for their homes My grandparents lived in one became a draw for retirees, sea walls and earthen levees
and businesses that sit only sev- of those large three-story many from the Midlands, who
eral feet above sea level. Victorian terrace houses, and had a long family history of Experts predict the sea level to about relocating the entire vil-
“Defending Fairbourne is a that is where I spent my early summer vacationing there when rise at least 1.6 feet in the com- lage—a challenge because it is
constant challenge—we work childhood. When World War II they were kids. I revisited the ing decades, worsening the within the protected natural area
against nature to try to reduce started and the bombs started village in the 1990s and was sur- flooding risk. of Snowdonia National Park.
the risks at a time when the cli- dropping on my hometown of prised at how much it had The year of 2013 went out in Homeowners have also been
mate is changing and sea levels Liverpool, my mother, with me changed. Where once there used a fury of major Atlantic storms informed that they would be
are rising,” Sian Williams, the tucked under her arm, high- to be fields of sheep grazing that hit Britain and persisted into unlikely to receive any compen-
Head of Operations for Natural tailed it out of the city for the there were now fields of houses January of 2014. These storms sation from the Government for
Resources Wales said in a 2019 safety of the countryside and the and the population had swelled rolled in with gale force winds, their abandoned homes and thus
report. “We fully appreciate the refuge of my grandparents. We to some 800 people and 460 res- heavy rainfall, high tides, storm would end up with no assets.
community’s concern for its stayed until the end of the war idences. However, it seemed to surges and high waves. There While there is a possibility they
future and will continue to work and my Dad’s returned from the be thriving, with a number of was substantial flooding might receive help in resettle-
closely with local people and Navy. Then as a youth I spent shops, restaurants, and a golf throughout the U.K. The floods ment, their plight is somewhat
key organizations to protect the most of my summers there. course, although it had certainly continued to be in the news uncertain and most likely they
village in the short and medium To me it was an idyllic place become more Anglicized. The throughout the New Year and in will end up scattered in other
term.” of fond memories; it had all a narrow-gauge railway had mor- February 2014 the BBC Wales towns and villages, meaning the
Historically Fairbourne start- youth could wish for—what a phed from the original construc- investigative program “Week in village of Fairbourne will
ed out as a slate quarry and pleasant seaside village with an tion tramway to now taking visi- Week Out” aired on TV. That become nothing but a memory.
farming area in the 1800s and expansive beach, the sea, moun- tors on an enjoyable ride out program revealed that the Understandably there is a feel-
comprises a wide expanse of salt tains, waterfalls, woods, lakes, along the shore and sand dunes. Gwynedd Council, whose juris- ing by residents that the action
marsh and natural flood plain cliffs—what more could a boy Its terminus was at the end of diction included Fairbourne, had by the various agencies that
bordering the Mawddach wish for to explore and get into the peninsula that jutted out into published a report called “The adopted the earlier plans did so
Estuary. Behind the village, the trouble. the estuary where they could Shoreline Management Plan without thinking through the
mountains rise up, dominated by Everyone knew each other catch a ferry launch across the (SM2, Jan 2013)” that had ramifications.
Cader Idris. The town of and looked out for each other, River Mawddach to Barmouth. called for abandoning So what lies ahead for its 800
Barmouth sits accross the estu- Welsh was widely spoken, and it But that access to the river Fairbourne to the sea. or so residents and 460 homes?
ary. It is one of the most pic- is where I learned to speak it. and sea may also be Overnight, home prices There is obviously some skep-
turesque coastal areas on Many times, my grandmother Fairbourne’s downfall. Today, plunged, and residents felt gut- ticism in the village as to the
Cardigan Bay in North Wales would scold, “hogyn drwg mae ground levels in Fairbourne are ted after watching the program. timing; while believing in cli-
and originally was in the old Ivor,” after I once again returned only between 5 to 8 feet above Fairbourne’s residents thought mate change some feel that the
county of Meirionnydd. Now it from some frowned upon sea level, and the average high the program over sensational- predictions are too dire as the
is encompassed into the County escapade. At that time, I would tide level experienced 24 times a ized the danger; the report itself village has not experienced any
of Gwynedd and Snowdonia estimate the population to be at year is 8.5 feet. That means the made clear what experts significant flooding as far back
National Park. about 200, which swelled con- ocean’s tides are higher than the believed would happen even as many of the current residents
The arrival of the railway in siderably in the summertime village twice a month. During though Fairbourne had not expe- can remember.
the mid-1800s opened up the with visitors drawn to the beauty big storms with their corre- rienced any major flooding in The village is a major tourist
coast to a wider range of travel- of the area. It was a village sponding storm surge and higher these storms. Residents felt the draw with its expansive pristine
ers, among them speculators and where the milk was delivered waves the sea level can rise to problem had been dropped in beach and mountains for hiking.
wealthy industrialists with daily, ladled out from the big more than 5 feet above the vil- their lap and many meetings and There are shops, hotel and
visions of creating a seaside milk churn, and bread was still lage level, according to a 2019 ideas were batted around in the restaurants to serve the locals as
community of homes, shops, warm from the bakery. The study. intervening years. well as the tourists. The narrow-
church, hotel and esplanade. A butcher opened two days at the A combination of shingle In 2019, “Fairbourne: a gauge railway has always been a
seawall and promenade were end of the week when the meat banks, sand dunes, sea walls and Framework for the Future,” a big attraction, as it was when I
built, along with some blocks of was delivered—no walk-in cool- earthen levees protect the village collaborative document of state was a kid, leading some in the
three-story Victorian-style ter- ers then. today. But authorities say rising agencies and village organiza- community to want to keep this
race houses. A small tramway From the 1960s onward the sea levels will make it increas- tions brought the consequences vibrancy going.
was built to move building village grew significantly as ingly hard to protect the village home even more starkly. The Many residents though, of
materials to the various sites. more homes were built and it and the people who live there. current plan is to phase out the whom 62% are over 55, feel
upkeep of the sea defenses by abandoned and anxious, espe-
implementing a “phased retreat” cially those who retired here
DROS YR IAITH peninsula that juts out into the but now are living under a dark
hoping for a carefree retirement
starting in 2025 first with the
Mawddach Estuary. The rest of
cloud. Eighty percent of the resi-
the village will be protected
dents own their property out-
FOR THE LANGUAGE become increasingly difficult to move as the bottom has dropped
until 2054. After this it would
right but point out they can’t
protect the village. Maintaining
out of the property market, leav-
and increasing the flood defens-
ing them little equity to buy
elsewhere; besides, prospective
es would not only be costly but
also lead to risk of life with sea
buyers can’t obtain a mortgage.
On top of this the Corona
surge leading to a breach in the
sea defenses.
on tourism and consequently the
HELP Dyfodol lobby for long-term level rise plus waves and storm virus has taken its toll this year
HELPWCH Dyfodol i lobïo dros These target dates were county and village economy.
language planning and a Welsh
Awdurdod Iaith â phwerau llawn arrived at by trading off the There is also a feeling that the
Language Authority value of property vs. cost of Council is already starting to
maintaining sea defenses based draw back. Some of the facilities
Cyfrannwch NAWR i’n cyfri banc Contribute NOW to our bank account on the predicted sea level rise. such as public toilets and the
IBAN – GB94LOYD30988526699860 The plan is to start to move needed repairs to the promenade
BIC – LOYDGB21505 everyone out and then remove have been abandoned by the
Cyswllt/ Contact: meinir@dyfodol.net the houses and infrastructure to council and the privileged blue
flag classification of the beach
allow it to return to a salt marsh
over time. However, should the has been withdrawn.
www.dyfodol.net sea wall be breached and the vil- This is uncharted territory for
lage inundated sooner, then the the Welsh Council and the vil-
plan will have to be moved up. lagers and for that matter will be
Residents worry the current so in the future for other vulner-
plan fails to adequately protect able communities and govern-
their property rights and the ments. While Fairbourne is first,
money tied up in their homes it is laying the groundwork for
and land. Some have asked “how to” or “how not to” deal
whether it would be possible to with a very difficult situation
move the village back from the that involves people’s wellbe-
shoreline, which would be diffi- ing, livelihoods and their lives.
cult because it is hemmed-in by
the mountains. Others wondered
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Page 10 NINNAU - The North American Welsh Newspaper January-February 2021