Structural Accommodation as a Coastal Adaptation Response to Sea-Level Rise:Lessons From Europe

Pasquier, Ulysse, Nicholls, Robert, Le Cozannet, Gonéri, Sayers, Paul, Völz, Vanessa, Hinkel, Jochen, Toimil, Alexandra and Wolff, Claudia (2026) Structural Accommodation as a Coastal Adaptation Response to Sea-Level Rise:Lessons From Europe. Earth's Future, 14 (2). pp. 1-17. ISSN 2328-4277

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Abstract

Global sea-level rise is intensifying pressures on coastal regions, increasing the need for adaptation strategies (e.g., protect, retreat, accommodate). At the same time, decision makers require a better understanding of the available responses to address the widening adaptation implementation gap. Structural measures aimed at reducing the impacts of coastal hazards as part of the accommodation strategy have received limited attention in the coastal adaptation literature with few studies looking at how it is currently considered to address sea-level rise. We first advance a conceptual framework that separates structural from non-structural accommodation, recognizing that this distinction is essential to accurately define the adaptation “solution space.” Building on this framework, we synthesize scientific and gray literature, conduct a multilevel review of policy and technical documents, and draw on expert input to not only evaluate the current state of structural accommodation in Europe but also to highlight generic lessons for its potential implementation. This includes consideration of its advantages and disadvantages. Uptake remains fragmented and highly localized, embedded mainly in municipal spatial planning rather than national adaptation agendas, and is hampered by financial, institutional, and technical constraints. We argue that stronger policy integration and dedicated financial incentives could overcome these barriers and harness accommodation's value as a flexible option capable of reducing risk and avoiding long-term lock-in. This study improves our understanding of how this strategy can contribute to coastal resilience in Europe and beyond.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data used in this study is listed and referenced in Table S1
Uncontrolled Keywords:	coastal adaptation,sea-level rise,flood risk,adaptation pathways,structural accommodation,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 9 - industry, innovation, and infrastructure ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2026 17:39
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2026 17:39
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101861
DOI:	10.1029/2025EF006797

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