Managed retreat, private insurance retreat, public insurance and the connections between them

This final report examines two key challenges related to climate adaptation: the retreat of private insurance from areas facing growing natural‑hazard risks, and the role of both private and public insurance in managed retreat.

The report outlines how insurance retreat occurs, why public disaster insurance schemes are often created in response, and the many policy questions involved in designing them. The report also explores how insurance influences decisions about moving people away from high‑risk areas, including how insurance can support or complicate managed retreat, and how new insurance models might help fund relocation.

Together, the findings highlight the trade‑offs that governments, insurers, and communities must navigate when responding to increasing natural‑hazard risks.