Coasts are complex social-ecological systems that host diverse economic activities, cultures, political arrangements and ecosystems with local, national, regional and global implications. However, they face increasing and interacting pressures including those resulting from increasing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. sea-level rise, Ocean warming, Ocean acidification, extreme events) and localised activities such as fishing, aquaculture, waste disposal and coastal urbanisation. These create a unique set of context-specific issues that need to be addressed holistically using a systems approach, considering the dynamics between both coastal societies and ecosystems as part of interconnected social-ecological systems. Building resilience of coastal ecosystems and human communities is essential for their persistence, adaptation and ability to transform whilst maintaining their essential functions, and to safeguard life, ecosystems and economies.
EMB Policy Brief No. 12 provides an overview of approaches for the governance and management of coasts and their human communities towards resilience, and the knowledge required to build coastal resilience, with a specific focus on coastal protection and Nature-based Solutions.
The recommendations from this document will be further discussed at the 9th EMB Forum on 'Addressing coastal and water resilience on the land-sea interface' to be held on 2 April 2025.
Download the document here.
Photo credit: Ray Buckley