Managed Retreat as a Pathway for Community Recovery and Rehabilitation in the Wake of Disasters: A Case Study of Community Resettlement in the Sinking Island of Ghoramara, West Bengal, India

This case study highlights important lessons for non-government and community-based organizations working to support communities for post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation. In particular, in cases where the affected community has been almost completely destroyed, the most important task is to facilitate their managed retreat to the most suitable resettlement areas, guided by a plan that is developed jointly by the affected community, the local government, and support organizations. This case study likewise provides an eye-opener for land rights advocates that land tenure security, while crucial in the long-term, is no guarantee of successful in-place recovery and rehabilitation in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Thus, land rights advocates and other organizations must likewise focus their energies on ensuring that plans for managed retreat are in place, are developed with the community’s approval, and are implemented automatically to ensure the safety, health, and livelihood security of the resettled community.