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We need collaboration and co-creation to address challenges facing coastal communities

Nature Human Behaviour volume 8, pages 814–822 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Coastal communities across the globe are faced with multifaceted, interconnected challenges with competing environmental, social and economic needs. In rural coastal communities of the Global South, the challenges presented by climate change are complicated by those related to development, resource management and sustainable livelihoods. The rapid growth of such coastal communities exacerbates these challenges and reinforces the need for effective and sustainable governance. Such governance requires a move from top-down approaches to human-centred approaches. Human-centred coastal governance engages multiple stakeholders and combines multidisciplinary knowledge, participatory approaches, co-creation of solutions and multi-institutional partnerships. Here we present case studies from coastal communities in Vanuatu, Ghana and Bangladesh. These illustrate several of the complex challenges facing such communities and the collaborative and empowering strategies that have been used to meet them. Based on these case studies, we present a transdisciplinary framework to inform the co-creation of coastal management strategies that meet interconnected human and environmental needs.

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Fig. 1: Case study pictures and maps.
Fig. 2: Framework illustrating the interconnected challenges impacting coastal communities in the Global South and recommended people-centred strategies and approaches to address them.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Koomson, A. Agyekumhene, the Ghanaian Forestry Commission and O. Tomlinson for the maps and illustrations and University of Derby, University of Education, Winneba and Bishop Grosseteste University for funding this research. We also thank W. Killman, H. Sabass, C. Bartlett, W. Kenneth, W. Bani and the people of Pele Island.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK

    Debadayita Raha

  2. Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK

    Katherine Sian Davies-Vollum

  3. Drua Centre for Resilience, Resilient Development Solutions, Lincoln, UK

    Sarah L. Hemstock

  4. Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana

    Isaac Boateng

  5. School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Bedford, UK

    Mohammed Tariqul Islam

  6. Department of Climate Change, Government of Vanuatu, Port Vila, Vanuatu

    Charles A. E. Pierce

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  1. Debadayita Raha
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  3. Sarah L. Hemstock
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  4. Isaac Boateng
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Correspondence to Debadayita Raha or Katherine Sian Davies-Vollum.

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Raha, D., Davies-Vollum, K.S., Hemstock, S.L. et al. We need collaboration and co-creation to address challenges facing coastal communities. Nat Hum Behav 8, 814–822 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01875-y

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