In 2021, the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored a two-year consensus study, Managed Retreat in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region, to examine and make findings and recommendations regarding the unique challenges associated with managed retreat among vulnerable coastal communities in the region.


To gather information for the consensus report, the authoring committee convened a series of three public workshops in the Gulf Coast region. The workshops, held in June and July of 2022, focused on policy and practice considerations, research and data needs, and community engagement strategies. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
1 Introduction and Background
2 Community Perspectives on Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities for Coastal Louisiana
3 Equity in Community Viability and Environmental Change
4 Community Perspectives on Displacement, Assisted Resettlement, and Receiving Communities in Louisiana
5 Resettling and Receiving Stories from Across Louisiana
6 Housing, Health, and Planning in the Context of Resettlement and Receiving Communities
Appendix A: Public Workshop Agendas
Appendix B: Committee and Speaker Biographies