Managed Retreat — A Strategy for the Mitigation of Disaster Risks with International and Comparative Perspectives

Currently, potentials of spatial planning in disaster risk mitigation have not yet been fully tapped, especially in the context of managed retreat regarding both inhabitants and infrastructure in hazard prone areas. Retreat as a development opportunity in adjusting spatial patterns, diverging urban growth, reducing risks in pre- and post-disasters, achieving urban resilience and “Build Back Better” is undervalued. Besides little success achieved so far, there is a lack of context-specific lessons learnt, particularly in how to prioritize planned retreat. In this paper we attempt to investigate potential barriers, challenges and opportunities of disaster risk-related retreat in both developing and developed countries. Using several country studies, we review and categorise retreat strategies in different development settings and disaster contexts and highlight comparative discussions of both reactive and proactive retreat strategies. We argue that managed retreat can be an effective spatial resilience strategy in disaster mitigation. We propose to examine success factors of retreat, its indicators and criteria, a balance with on-site upgrading and an application of retreat typologies. We emphasise critical aspects including the enhancement of institutional capacity in risk governance, the adoption of legally binding hazard maps and hazard-controlled land use, especially prior to disasters. We vote for embedding of affordable housing with planned retreat schemes and sustaining resettlement sites with viable livelihood strategies, and finally monitoring and evaluating impacts of retreat schemes along with urban development and livelihood performance. We also emphasise community-driven retreat strategies with participation mechanism to ensure inhabitants’ concerns in retreat planning processes to its local context.