22
R.H.C. Charlier and Chr. P. De Meyer
Chapter I : Response Strategies
Responses strategies fall into three broad categories :
Retreat :
abandonment of land and structures in vulnerable areas and resettlement of
inhabitants ;
Accommodation :
continued occupancy and use of vulnerable areas ;
Protection :
defense of vulnerable areas, especially population centers, economic activities and
natural resources.
1
Retreat
Options for retreat include :
a) Preventing development in areas near the coast ;
b) Allowing development to take place on the condition that it will be
abandoned if necessary (plannedphase-out) ;
c) No direct government role other than through withdrawal of subsidies and
provision of information about associated risks.
Governmental efforts to limit development generally invoice land acquisition,
land-use restrictions, prohibited reconstruction of property damaged by storms
and reductions of subsidies and incentives for development in vulnerable areas.
Many nations have purchased large areas on the coast and designated them as
nature reserves (national and regional parks). Preventing development can reduce
future expenditures for adaptation. India, Western countries, Australia and the
United States already require new buildings be set back from the sea. These
regulations could be modified to consider the future impacts from a rising sea
level, but most nations would require payment of compensation to coastal
property owners 3.
The second option gives the government a more limited role in that it lays out the
"rules of the game" (the eventual transgression of the sea) 4. Investors are
accustomed to evaluating uncertainty and can determine whether development
should proceed given the constraint.