Safe Havens: A Peek Into “Managed Retreat”
It’s been such a treat listening to Melissa Harris-Perry——one of my favorite writers and political commentators——on WNYC’s news podcast, The Takeaway, since her permanent appointment last fall. Following the release of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) updated report on the rise of global greenhouse emissions last month, The Takeaway aired a series of episodes focusing on various climate-related issues, policies, and stories. One segment in particular, “Managed Retreat: A Solution to Communities Impacted by Climate Change”, caught my attention because I was not familiar with this concept. A.R. Siders, Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware, and Hilton Kelley, founder and director of the Community in Power and Development Association (CIDA) in Port Arthur, Texas, joined Harris-Perry in conversation to discuss managed retreat in relation to their day-to-day work.
The first half of the segment was dedicated to deconstructing the concept of managed retreat. In an earlier post, I reviewed the concept of adaptation, which is the process of adjusting to climate change by understanding its effects and taking appropriate precautionary measures to withstand them. A.R. Siders, whose research focuses on climate change adaptation governance, decision-making, and evaluation, defined managed retreat as a type of voluntary adaptation process that mitigates climate risk through the planned relocation of vulnerable populations, properties, and infrastructures away from hazardous geographies. In other words, managed retreat physically moves people and assets away from climate risk danger zones into safer areas. She emphasized that the decision to implement managed retreat in a given population is established through community consensus, and highlighted its primary benefits: safety and risk mitigation.
I paused to think about what this process must look and feel like for those who choose to pursue it. I also started thinking about the relationship between risk and emotion, and how they’re often intertwined. Some might wonder why a resident of a community, after years of enduring natural disasters, would continue calling this community “home”. Shouldn’t they just …move? Perhaps it’s easier to land on the surface of simple logic, but a deeper dive reveals the number of challenges associated with uprooting. What many of us define as “home” is embedded in history, collective unity, memories, culture, stability, convenience, and so much more——all of which are inextricably linked to our emotional well-being and sense of self. Let’s not also forget the very important financial aspect of it all——from the homeowner’s perspective (moving is expensive!) to the city dependent on property tax revenue as a key source of funding. Therefore, weighing emotion against climate threats may result in an increased risk appetite and a preference for “stability” over migration. Siders acknowledged these concerns, but focused more intently on the imminent danger that climate risks present to so many vulnerable populations that cannot rely on protections from physical reinforcements or even insurance. For residents who no longer wish to bear the repeated burden of rebuilding or rehabilitation following the onset of a natural disaster, managed retreat may be a more conceivable climate resilience approach.
In the latter half of the segment, Harris-Perry’s second guest, Hilton Kelley, discussed alternatives to managed retreat for marginalized populations. He believes that community empowerment is a necessary and more viable climate resilience approach. He spoke passionately of the diverse and unique characteristics of his Port Arthur community, but also acknowledged its vulnerability to recurring storm and flood damage since Hurricane Rita in 2005. In addition to repeated storm and flood risks, residents of the Gulf region are also affected by environmental hazards, such as toxic pollution, which is caused by the chemical and oil industrial sites that surround this area. His organization, CIDA, believes in empowering residents through education and legislative advocacy in order to protect their communities from these dangers, and also to strengthen their social power, culture, and resilience. They conduct their own environmental sampling and protest regularly against industrial projects that could negatively impact the health and quality of their community’s residents and land. On his outlook of managed retreat, he regards it as a last resort, believing instead that governments and foundations should provide more abundant financial and infrastructural resources to protect vulnerable communities from the harms of climate risks.
It’s incredibly hard to sever the roots that you have sown into a community you love, but what can you do if that community is threatened by climate dangers? This episode left me both fascinated by the concept of managed retreat and overwhelmed by the logistical prospect of it all——I had so many questions! Like…
What factors are considered in identifying the places to which “climate refugees” will be relocated?
Are these areas equipped to manage and support migration and subsequent population increase?
How would potential stigma against domestic climate refugees be addressed?
How is managed retreat funded and sustained?
What are the regulatory requirements for implementing managed retreat plans? How can we ensure that these processes are implemented equitably?
In my next post, I’ll review the Georgetown Climate Center’s managed retreat toolkit, which lays the groundwork for managed retreat policy and strategic implementation across coastal communities. I’m not sure all of my questions can be answered just yet, but I’m curious about how policymakers are thinking about operationalizing managed retreat proposals in real time. Stay tuned!
-T