THE COASTAL CONSTRUCTION SETBACK SYSTEM: ORIGINS, EVOLUTION, AND PRACTICES AND PROSPECTS OF CHINA

Coastal zones are key interfaces where natural processes and human activities are highly intertwined, and reconciling coastal protection with sustainable use has become critical in global governance. The Coastal Construction Setback System, defined as a construction-restricted zone delineated landward from the coastline or specific natural geographic features, has evolved into a key spatial governance instrument that integrates disaster risk reduction, ecosystem conservation, and climate change adaptation. However, the formation logic, technical pathways, and applicable boundaries of this system have not yet been systematically reviewed in the Chinese context, and local practices are often constrained by insufficient scientific support and lack of dynamic updating mechanisms. This study systematically elucidates the three historical roots of the international Coastal Construction Setback System: (1) the legal tradition of coastal publicness and right of access to the sea rooted in Roman law; (2) management imperatives focused on disaster risk avoidance and the protection of coastal assets; and (3) scientific principles emphasizing the continuity of coastal geomorphic-ecological systems. Internationally, mainstream approaches for determining setback distances have advanced from static rules to risk-based, dynamic assessment models, integrating factors such as coastal erosion rates, sea-level rise, and extreme-event scenarios. In China, the system has followed a staged trajectory, from local experimentation to central strategic establishment and gradual technical specification; however, it remains limited by insufficient spatiotemporal continuity of monitoring data, weak capacity for future risk simulation, and the lack of dynamic revision mechanisms. This paper advocates the establishment of an integrated “observation-simulation-decision-making” scientific support system to facilitate the transition of the setback regime from a static planning instrument to a proactive, forward-looking mechanism for adaptive risk governance, thereby providing institutional safeguards for the safety, resilience, and sustainable development of China’s coastal zones.