Policy and management hazards along the Upper Texas coast

Coastlines are some of the most populated and rapidly expanding areas of the United States. Here, people seek employment, build residences and facilitate urban growth. However, most people do not fully realize all of the risks associated with living along a coast. Relative sea-level rise, erosion, and severe storms continuously alter the landscape. Anthropogenic interventions designed to slow these natural processes often foster decline at a greater rate. Building residences and other permanent structures further exacerbates the problem. Along the Upper Texas coast, public policy intended to protect and make life more viable is actually creating “moral hazards” and escalating the financial burdens on government. This article identifies several public policies at the local, state and federal levels of government that are working at cross purposes by allowing risky investment decisions that put people’s livelihoods in jeopardy. The authors conclude that a different, more sustainable set of policy options is required and offer several recommendations for consideration.