Managed realignment has been a preferred coastal management strategy in
England in the 21st century and has also been increasingly implemented
elsewhere. Climate change and environmental and financial concerns have
led to a shift from the traditional 'hold-the-line' approach of coastal
protection towards more flexible soft engineering options. Managed
realignment is a relatively new soft engineering alternative aiming to
provide sustainable flood risk management with added environmental and
socio-economic benefits by creating space for coastal habitats to
develop more dynamically. The natural adaptive capacity of coastal
habitats and the ecosystem services they provide underpin the
sustainability of managed realignment. However, many definitions of
managed realignment exist and the understanding of what the term
actually represents in practice has evolved through time and varies
regionally.
This book clarifies the definitions and terminology used in the
literature and proposes that managed realignment is used as a general
term that encompasses the many different methods of implementation
worldwide, including: removal, breach and realignment of defences;
controlled tidal restoration (which includes regulated tidal exchange
and controlled reduced tide); and managed retreat. These methods of
implementation are explained and illustrated with examples from around
the world. In addition to a general overview of emerging policies and
current practices, specific chapters discuss approaches adopted in
different locations, including the Netherlands, the UK and Maui (USA).
The UK experience is presented from the perspectives of three sectors:
the National Trust (a charity organisation that owns 10% of the
coastline of England and Wales), the Environment Agency (the
organisation responsible for implementing government policy concerning
flood and erosion risk) and a private consultant involved in the
planning, design and delivery of managed realignment projects. Taking a
wider perspective to consider the range of implementation methods, the
viability of managed realignment as a long-term coastal management
strategy is discussed.
Recent national and regional strategies worldwide give managed
realignment an increasing role in climate change and flood risk
management. Gaining stakeholders and public support is fundamental for
the success of emerging coastal management strategies. However, public
perception and stakeholders engagement are often cited as a factor
limiting the wider uptake of managed realignment. Results from a recent
survey are used to benchmark the current thinking about the potential,
the performance and the limitations of managed realignment in the UK and
elsewhere. Current opinions about managed realignment are often not
clearly defined, partly due to many projects being relatively recent.
There is a general perception of great potential to provide sustainable
flood risk management with added environmental benefits. However, the
views of stakeholders are considerably more negative and notably
contrast with the views of practitioners and researchers. The only clear
and dominant agreement across all groups of respondents is that better
understanding about the long-term evolution of sites is needed.
