A Fresh Look at Managed Realignment: Estuary Wide and Long Term Sustainability

Managed realignment is a common solution to replacing habitat loss resulting from coastal squeeze and other coastal developments. Although it is not a perfect solution, it is perhaps the best solution that we have at the present time for achieving compliance with the Habitats and Birds Directives. This paper takes a fresh look at the sustainability of managed realignment in terms of the habitats created, their subsequent evolution, and the birds which use these habitats. The paper draws on experience from a number of schemes and strategies to make recommendations for the design of future schemes and strategic targets for compensatory habitats within estuaries.