Managed retreat in Europe more widespread than previously thought
A new study published in Earth's Future shows that managed retreat, the planned, government-supported relocation of people and infrastructure away from flood-prone areas, is being practiced across Europe at larger scale than thought. Where global assessments of managed retreat only included a handful of different managed retreat projects in Europe, researchers from Deltares and Kiel University identified 44 managed retreat projects in 11 European countries.
Insights From Managed Retreat Projects in Europe
Different types of managed retreat
Carolien Kraan (Deltares), Claudia Wolff and Fabia Bade (Kiel University) performed a search in many different languages across academic literatures, official reports and newspaper articles to identify examples of managed retreat in Europe. This resulted in a much broader set of cases than had been previously identified, spanning more than 8,700 households across 11 European countries, going back more than 150 years in one case.
In most of the cases, the managed retreat involved the relocation of households. Most often, these cases were pretty small scale, with only few homes needing to be demolished, but there are cases where whole communities had to relocate, for example in Poland and France. In some cases, only assets were removed or relocated. For example, in Denmark a lighthouse too close to the edge of a cliff was placed on rails to move it further inland to preserve it.
Factors influencing managed retreat process and outcomes
The researchers looked into five key factors that influence the process and outcomes of managed retreat projects:
- the compensation offered
- the timing of the project
- the engagement of the affected community
- the leadership taken by the government
- the post-relocation land use
Their analysis showed that managed retreat programs were generally considered more successful in cases where compensation was adequate and transparent, where communities were engaged from an early stage and throughout the process, and where trusted local leadership helped to maintain dialogue. Conversely, inadequate compensation, fragmented responsibilities, and top-down decision-making often generated contestation and slowed implementation.
Carolien Kraan (author and climate adaptation expert at Deltares): “Managed retreat can be a very effective form of climate adaptation. However, it needs to be applied with care, as it touches people at the core of their lives: their home. We will need to make space for water as we adapt to climate change, and this study takes a first step towards understanding what works well and what doesn’t when it comes to implementing managed retreat in Europe, so that when we have to implement managed retreat, we do it well, with respect for the affected households.”
This study takes a first step towards understanding what works well and what doesn’t when it comes to implementing managed retreat in Europe.
Carolien Kraan
From reactive measure to strategic option
At the same time, the study highlights an important gap: while retreat is occurring, it remains limited in scale compared to the growing number of people exposed to flood risk across Europe and is still largely reactive with most European managed retreat initiatives implemented after major flood events. Disasters often create political and social momentum for action. However, anticipatory planning frameworks that consider retreat as one option within broader adaptation strategies remain comparatively rare.
“Retreat is not a one-size-fits-all solution,” says author Claudia Wolff from Kiel University. “However, it should be part of the climate adaptation portfolio. Preparing governance frameworks and engagement processes in advance, rather than improvising after disasters, can improve outcomes for communities.”
In most of the cases, the relocation focusses on helping those that have been affected by flooding and where protective measures are not possible of desirable. However, some cases have been found, including in Belgium and the Netherlands, where the aim of the managed retreat program has been on relocating a few to significantly reduce flood risk for many. For example in the Netherlands, when a river floodplain could be restored, which helped protect an upstream city.
“Managed retreat is not a theoretical, future option of last resort, it is a practical reality”, says Carolien Kraan. “Studying past experiences allows us to move from crisis-driven relocation to deliberate, equitable, and well-planned adaptation. The next step is to better understand which governance frameworks enable proactive retreat, and how these can be embedded into long-term spatial and climate planning.”
