Coastal management has been greatly influenced by the rise of environmentalism, with its greater emphasis on the preservation of natural processes and restoration of habitats. Environmental change and rising sea levels has made the subject especially topical and today managed retreat is seen as a plausible strategy of coastal management, if a controversial one for some. Land Abandoned to the Sea offers a detailed history of how the concept emerged and a rigorous theoretical consideration of its implications. The author includes a range of case studies and concludes with a consideration of the governance implications of managed retreat.