Building big concrete walls to stop the sea often backfires, making communities even more likely to lose everything later on.
March 26, 2026
Original Paper
Rebounding Vulnerability, Maladaptation and Socio-Political Failure of Coastal Embankments in the Sundarbans Delta
SSRN · 6468927
The Takeaway
Standard logic suggests engineered defenses keep people safe, but this study found that when these embankments inevitably fail, they trigger a negative loop. The false sense of security leads to asset accumulation and socio-economic fragility that results in catastrophic, irreversible loss compared to communities without such walls.
From the abstract
Shoreline erosion is a global issue, especially along the mangrove-dominant shorelines. Unchecked land loss has led to economic losses for shoreline dwellers, resulting in displacement, migration, and reduced resilience. While engineered coastal defences are a common form of coastal adaptation to prevent shoreline erosion, they are increasingly failing to protect shoreline communities. However, a critical gap remains in understanding the causal mechanisms through which these physical failures in