managed retreat Archives - State of the Planet

Should Coastal Communities Rebuild or Retreat After Hurricane Ian?

The benefits and challenges of moving communities to safer ground.

by |October 7, 2022

How to Prevent a Flood Disaster: Using Law and Policy to Systematically Reduce Risk

Experts brainstormed legal ways to adapt to sea level rise at Columbia Climate School’s Managed Retreat conference.

by Jack Marcus Weissman |August 20, 2021
low lying island with houses on it

What is Needed for Fair and Equitable Managed Retreat?

Self-determination, recognition of historical drivers of climate risk, and a new approach to buyouts, according to participants at a recent conference.

by Kristen French |July 1, 2021
drone photo of Chesapeake Bay neighborhood with future water level painted on

Are Buyouts a Viable Tool for Climate Adaptation?

At this year’s Managed Retreat conference, experts discussed the limitations and future potential of government buyout programs.

by Elise Gout |June 29, 2021
somalian family climate migrants

Which Areas Will Climate Change Render Uninhabitable? Climate Models Alone Cannot Say

Understanding how people will respond to climate dangers depends not only on top-down data, but also on bottom-up community engagement.

by Radley Horton and Alex de Sherbinin |June 17, 2021
fire on a hillside

Conference Will Discuss Retreat From Rising Seas and Other Climate Hazards

From June 22 to 25, the Managed Retreat conference will examine the thorny questions around relocating homes and communities away from growing threats.

by |June 3, 2021

Tidal Communities Make Their Case for Shaping Resilient Coastal Futures

A recent conversation focused on three coastlines where Indigenous and Black communities are caught between rising seas and societal and development threats on land.

by |March 29, 2021
island of kivalina with houses on it

Tribes Claim U.S. Government Violates Human Rights by Failing to Address Climate-Forced Displacement

Five U.S. tribes claim that climate change compromises their human rights, including rights to life, health, housing, water, sanitation, and a healthy environment.

The Tribe That Brought a Damaged Shoreline Back to Life

How the Shinnecock Indian Nation Tribe in Long Island, NY, transformed a desolate and barren stretch of shoreline to protect their land from erosion and sea-level rise

by |September 18, 2019
photo from managed retreat panel

Conference Raises Tough Questions About Retreat from Rising Seas

Hundreds of experts gathered on campus to discuss possibilities for protecting coastal communities and withdrawing when we can no longer safely inhabit our coastlines.

by |July 17, 2019