Research, Analysis and Feasibility of Managed Retreat in Hawaiʻi
Modeling 3 feet of sea level rise on the South Shore of Oʻahu (Credit: University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Coastal Geology Group)
The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Coastal Zone Management Program (OPSD-CZM), under the policy metrics of the Ocean Resources Management Plan (ORMP), commissioned a series of projects to assess the feasibility and implications of managed retreat strategies for vulnerable coastal areas in Hawai‘i.
Generally, adaptation can be grouped into three main categories: Protection, Accommodation and Retreat. While accommodation and protection strategies are commonly used and better understood, there are few cases of managed retreat in Hawai‘i’s vulnerable coastal areas.
Managed retreat is the shifting of development inland from the coast either by the physical removal of structures or by redirecting future development away from coastal areas. It is just one form of adaptation to respond to the impacts of sea level rise and coastal erosion, and retreat depends on many factors. The decision on where, when, and how to retreat will ultimately need to be made on a localized scale.
While there are many challenges to implementing retreat, including community acceptance, political will and funding, there are also demands, motivation, and opportunities for retreat. Managed retreat benefits the restoration of beaches and dunes, shoreline public access, Hawaiian customary and cultural practices, subsistence, and coastal safety.
 Before Phase 1 of Ventura, CA Managed Retreat Project at Surfers’ Point (Credit: Paul Jenkin, 1995) |
 After Phase 1 of Ventura, CA Managed Retreat Project at Surfers’ Point (Credit: Paul Jenkin, 2015) |
An example of managed retreat of a coastal bike path and parking lot due to chronic coastal erosion in Ventura, California.
OPSD-CZM, pursuant to Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 205A, plays a lead agency role to update and coordinate the implementation of the Ocean Resources Management Plan (ORMP). The 2013 and 2020 versions of the ORMP both identified Development and Coastal Hazards as a focus area, with analyzing and exploring managed retreat strategies as a key component towards building the state’s coastal resilience. In coordination with ORMP partner agencies, OPSD-CZM is advancing the State’s understanding of managed retreat as a feasible adaptation option to coastal hazards in Hawaiʻi.
Managed Retreat Analysis: Policy & Funding Opportunities and Challenges (2025)
Building off the 2019 Feasibility Report, OPSD-CZM commissioned a follow-up project that delved deeper into the policy, legal, and funding opportunities and challenges for implementing managed retreat in Hawaiʻi. The goal of the project was to analyze existing laws, policies, and funding mechanisms and provide the state with recommendations and analysis to inform the implementation of retreat as part of the state’s overall climate adaptation strategy.
The analysis consisted of: 1) assessment of existing laws, policies and financial programs in Hawaiʻi that have implications for managed retreat, 2) interviews with State and County agencies with planning and/or regulatory responsibilities within the coastal area, 3) focus group discussions with key stakeholder groups (cultural practitioners, real estate sector, legal sector), 3) identifying a set of recommendations and strategies that are most appropriate for Hawai‘i; and 4) hypothetical application of the recommended strategies to two case study areas: Sunset Beach on Oʻahu and Kahana Sunset Condominium Building F on Maui.
The final project report resulted in 20 recommendations and a framework for implementing managed retreat in Hawai‘i vulnerable coastal areas. Use the following links to read the report:
Assessing the Feasibility and Implications of Managed Retreat Strategies for Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Hawai‘i (2019)
The project to Assess the Feasibility and Implications of Managed Retreat Strategies for Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Hawai‘i involved four main tasks: 1) Background Research consisting of literature review; 2) development of four Scenario Profiles – single-family homes; resorts, hotels and condominiums; urban areas; and critical infrastructure – that are representative of areas in Hawai‘i potentially needing retreat due to sea level rise and/or other coastal hazards; 3) a Symposium on managed retreat with keynote speakers and expert panelists; and 4) a Final Report, summarizing the results gathered from each prior task.
The Symposium was held in January 2018 in Honolulu and featured speakers with experience facilitating retreat in New Jersey and California, as well as local subject matter experts.
Click the links below to view the presentations from the symposium.
- Symposium Introduction
- Keynote Speaker: New Jersey DEP Superstorm Sandy Blue Acres Buyout Program (Presenter: Fawn McGee)
- Keynote Speaker: Managed Shoreline Retreat: Surfers’ Point, Ventura CA (Presenter: Stefanie Sekich-Quinn)
- Hawaii Panel Presentations & Symposium Wrap-up
A Final Report synthesized the results of all work and input received from the Background Research, Scenario Profiles and Symposium. The Report recognized that it is currently not feasible to develop a step-by-step plan to implement managed retreat for areas in Hawai‘i threatened by sea level rise and/or other coastal hazards, due in-part to competing priorities identified throughout the course of the assessment. The Report makes a multi-prong recommendation to continue building on the State’s understanding of managed retreat and identifies outstanding questions and considerations.