Abstract
The coastal zone is a space where many social, economic, and political activities intersect with natural processes. In this paper, we present an adaptation of the method of ‘Circles of Sustainability’, used to provide a visual assessment of indicators that define sustainability profiles for cities. It is used as a basis for a ‘Circles of Coastal Sustainability’ (CCS) framework that can be used at multiple spatial scales to assess indicators of critical processes that facilitate/constrain sustainability of the world’s coastal zones. The development of such a framework can support management by identifying key features that influence environmental sustainability and human well-being. CCS presents a holistic assessment of four interdependent boundary domains: Environment and Ecology, Social and Cultural, Economics, and Governance and Policy. This approach improves its utility and usability for decision-makers and researchers. CCS adds to existing assessment frameworks that are often focused on particular themes and/or domains that confine their utility to the context of sustainable development and the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which demand an inherently holistic and integrated evaluation. CCS is a holistic framework designed to assess the boundaries to sustainability for socio-ecological systems at multiple scales for the world’s coasts.
Highlights
The coastal zones of the world include the ecosystems and socio-economic systems most at threat from the impacts of global environmental change [1,2], and they require a deep understanding of the interrelations between social, economic, political, and environmental dimensions for effective management [3,4]
International efforts call for progress to be made towards a more resilient and sustainable future worldwide, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the COP21 Paris agreement
The outcomes of the case study presented through Circles of Coastal Sustainability’ (CCS) for Spain have shown how the status of coastal biophysical boundaries is related to the declining provision of coastal ecosystem services, with consequent impacts on the well-being of human communities that depend on these
Summary
The coastal zones of the world include the ecosystems and socio-economic systems most at threat from the impacts of global environmental change [1,2], and they require a deep understanding of the interrelations between social, economic, political, and environmental dimensions for effective management [3,4]. It is important to see data not as individual inputs, but as part of a systems approach that integrates diverse components of coupled human and natural systems to understand socioeconomic and environmental interconnections and to create sustainability solutions [18,19] Such a systems approach can enable discussions on the current status and future sustainability pathways across all disciplines using the best available information, including expert judgement [4]. This article results from a review of existing thematic frameworks and a synthesis to develop a framework that provides a holistic sustainability profile for any given coastal region/locality This holistic framework, the Circles of Coastal Sustainability (CCS), uses and augments the concept of Circles of Sustainability [23], a method designed to assess domains of ecology, economics, politics, and culture to understand complexity across multiple dimensions and achieve socially and environmentally sustainable outcomes. The framework application is demonstrated through the presentation of a case study that explores limitations and strengths as well as usefulness
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