Coastal management – working towards the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030)

Susan Taljaard,Janine Adams

doi:10.17159/sajs.2021/8857

Abstract

The UN declared 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science and identified research and technology priority areas to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We reviewed the current status of scientific support for coastal management in South Africa within the context of these priorities and found promising development. However, challenges for the next decade remain, such as rolling out pilot projects into sustainable, national-scale programmes, facilitating greater collaboration and coordination among scientific role players, and achieving long-term commitment and political will for dedicated financial support. Through our lens as natural scientists we focused on the ecological system and coupling with the social system; however scientific support on better characterisation and understanding of the dynamics within the social system is also critical as sustainable development relies heavily on the willingness of the social system to embrace and execute related policies.Significance: The UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030) sets research and technology priority areas to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We found promising development in scientific support for coastal management in South Africa. Future challenges include greater collaboration and coordination among scientific role players and long-term commitment and political will for dedicated financial support.

Highlights

The rich natural resources of coasts have attracted humans for centuries, through supplying resources that sustain subsistence livelihoods and offering easy access to maritime trade, safe recreational use, and a sense of place
We reviewed the current status of scientific support for coastal management in South Africa within the context of these priorities and found promising development
Through our lens as natural scientists we focused on the ecological system and coupling with the social system; scientific support on better characterisation and understanding of the dynamics within the social system is critical as sustainable development relies heavily on the willingness of the social system to embrace and execute related policies

Summary

Introduction

The rich natural resources of coasts have attracted humans for centuries, through supplying resources that sustain subsistence livelihoods and offering easy access to maritime trade, safe recreational use, and a sense of place. The Decade is viewed as ‘...a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a new foundation, across the science-policy interface, to strengthen the management of our oceans and coasts for the benefit of humanity...’ with a vision of ‘...developing scientific knowledge, build infrastructure and foster partnerships for sustainable and healthy ocean and coasts...’ to deliver the underpinning scientific information to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.[16,17] Role players, including scientists, are encouraged to go beyond ‘business as usual’ and develop innovative solutions for ocean and coastal sustainability Such solutions should support the integration in the SES, and recognise trade-offs within.[23] The Decade aims to achieve six outcomes: oceans (and coasts) are (1) clean,(2) healthy and resilient, (3) predicted, (4) safe, (5) sustainably harvested and productive, and (6) transparent and accessible.[18] science is not the only route to success, seven research and technology priority areas are seen as necessary to achieving these outcomes on Figure 1: Conceptualisation of a coastal social-ecological system, as well as the role of coastal management and science. South African National Biodiversity Assessment: Biodiversity GIS (http://bgis.sanbi.org/) The Greenbook (https://greenbook.co.za/) South Africa’s National Oceans and Coastal Information Management System (OCIMS) (www.ocims.gov.za/)

Observing systems

Prediction capabilities