Capacity Of Coastal Communities Research Articles

Transformative resilience: Transformation, resilience and capacity of coastal communities in facing disasters in two Indonesian villages

This study aims to identify the transformation process of coastal village communities in building resilience to disasters. We develop our theoretical framework based on the concepts of socio-ecological resilience, transformative resilience, panarchy systems and resilience capacities. Using the qualitative research methods, we examine two cases of coastal villages in Indonesia that represent differing levels of socio-economic vulnerability and community responses to disasters. The findings of this study highlight that the building of transformative resilience is affected by the transformation phases, the heterogeneity and interdependence of capacities, and the intensity of resources used as capacity. The building process of transformative resilience cannot happen instantly but requires an ideal timeframe for transitional phase navigation in which communities form valley and peak waves to create a perfect phase in each regime. This condition triggers the achievement of high resilience conditions in the face of disasters. Although endogenous capacities, in the form of local social networks and agents of change, have become the key aspects of resilience, openness to external conditions and collaborations are also essential in nurturing transformation. Our findings suggest an important implication for policy, in that a long-term transformation process should be taken into account in policymaking. Further, in enhancing the resilience of coastal communities it is important to build their innovative capacities, among other things, by nurturing their networks through various opportunities and exposures to external parties which enable collaborations and exchanges of knowledge.

Tanjung Siambang Community-Based Mangrove Management, Dompak Island, Tanjungpinang

This study aims to produce the roles, functions and benefits of mangrove forests for people's lives, causes of damage to mangrove ecosystems, as well as efforts to preserve and rehabilitate mangrove ecosystems that have been, are being and will be carried out in the future, Tanjung Siambang. This type of research is a qualitative and in-depth survey research approach with the aim of understanding certain social situations, events, roles, or interaction groups. This study uses various techniques and various instruments to collect data for data analysis using descriptive qualitative techniques. The method used in this community research is socialization in the form of counseling to coastal communities. The result is an increase in the capacity of coastal communities regarding the benefits and preservation of mangrove ecosystems

Leveraging Informal Learning Pedagogies to Empower Coastal Communities for Disaster Preparedness

With the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes, people and communities within hurricane-prone zones are often overwhelmed and lack effective preparedness in terms of social connectivity critical for making proactive decisions to survive anticipated disasters. Disaster management agencies traditionally share preparedness guidelines through formal educational and other public media channels (such as academic institutions, articles, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, etc.) only. However, such formal modalities seldom consider the socio-economic status, cultural background, diversity, and education level of communities. Consequently, vulnerable communities are challenged by poor inclusive accessibility, lack of receptiveness, and responsiveness. An Informal Learning Pedagogy (ILP) for hurricane preparedness can be a practical solution to disseminate knowledge on preparedness and hurricane impacts at the community level through nurturing enthusiasm to learn from one another within the community setting, which causes ripple effects that are more profound within a diverse community. This approach would effectively support educating more people about hurricane preparedness. The main objectives of this study are: 1) to assess the hurricane preparedness awareness of people living in a hurricane-prone coastal community in South Florida, United States; 2) to investigate the applicability of adopting novel ILP mechanisms for a disaster-prone community and; 3) analyze and plan for the development of online community-centered hurricane preparedness training with a primary focus on preparedness, warning, evacuation, and early recovery. Developing training modules focused on disaster preparedness through informal learning environments depends on incorporating actual community requirements, which reflect audience-centered needs as part of enhancing the resilience capacity of coastal communities. As such, in this study, an online questionnaire survey focusing on the validation of the research hypothesis was designed and conducted among South Florida residents. The survey data results indicated that participation in disaster-preparedness training through informal modalities highly depends on the length of an individual’s stay in a disaster-prone zone, anticipated benefits of disaster education, and the availability of online training. This research study contributes to the disaster preparedness and response bodies of knowledge by identifying informal ways of communicating hazard preparedness knowledge to advance the resilience capacities in disaster-prone communities.

Engaging Communities in Adaptation to Climate Change by Understanding the Dimensions of Social Capital in Atlantic Canada

This paper examines the role of social capital and its influence on the capacity of coastal communities in Atlantic Canada to respond and adapt to climate change, especially when dealing with extreme weather events. Three elements of social capital—social trust, institutional trust, and social networks—were considered. They were analyzed based on four questions targeting social capital during semi-structured interviews on climate change adaptation in 10 rural coastal communities located in three Canadian provinces (Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). Results showed that these communities exhibited strong social capital, mainly because of a high level of social trust. People were ambivalent in the way they connected to institutions, especially with governments. They often felt isolated and left to themselves to deal with climate change adaptation decisions. The research conveys the difficulties and challenges of multilevel governance, where coastal communities generally ensure trust within the community first before trusting higher levels of government. Initiatives to improve public engagement and participation in decision making should be supported for further adaptation, although they would require greater accountability and transparency.

Stakeholders Collaboration in Empowering Coastal Communities

Community empowerment has been reported to lead to societal dependence, as symptoms tend to allow the population not to be independent. In the coastal area of Bengkulu City, community empowerment has been reported to be carried out, most especially among the fishing population. However, it was not conducted sustainably, resulting in independence for the fishing community. For example, several Agencies often assist with temporary benefits. Moreover, there is no evaluation of program outcomes, as the assistance services do not run optimally. This study aims to describe the stakeholder collaboration patterns in empowering the coastal community at Bengkulu city. The method used was descriptive qualitative, as data were collected through observations, interviews, and documentation. The determination of objects was also carried out via the use of purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Also, the triangulation technique was used in order to check the data validity. The results showed that stakeholder collaboration was not being efficient and effective. The indicators also showed that the involved stakeholders have not entered into agreements and cooperation, which were observed as an effort to increase the capacity of coastal communities.

Rising sea and threatened mangroves: a case study on stakeholders, engagement in climate change communication and non-formal education

Scientific consensus shows that the changes related to climate change are already occurring and will intensify in the future. This will likely result in significant alterations to coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, increase coastal hazards and affect lifestyles of coastal communities. There is increasing speculation that mangrove, a socio-economically important ecosystem, will become more fragile and sensitive to uncertain climate variability such as sea level rise. As a result, mangrove-dependent societies may find themselves trapped in a downward spiral of ecological degradation in terms of their livelihoods and life security. Strengthening the resilience capacity of coastal communities to help them cope with this additional threat from climate change and to ensure sustainability calls for immediate action. In this context, this paper critically examines the regional implications of expected sea level rise and threats to mangrove-dependent communities through a case study approach. The main objective is to highlight the requirement for climate change communication and education to impart information that will fulfil three expectations: (1) confer understanding; (2) assess local inference on climate change through a participatory approach; and (3) construct a framework for climate change awareness among mangrove-dependent communities through community-based non-formal climate change education. This scale of approach is attracting increasing attention from policymakers to achieve climate change adaptation and derive policies from a social perspective.

Strategic regeneration: A policy coupling approach to managing a coastal resort in South Wales

This review paper takes a case study approach to critically discuss how regeneration in the coastal resort of Porthcawl, South Wales has integrated flood defences as part of a strategic spatial planning and integrated policy coupling approach to the redesign of the town's seaside, promenade and harbour quarter. This planned initiative is part of a concerted effort to upgrade the town's waterfront and enable regeneration of a small seaside resort. From a resort cycle perspective, Porthcawl's perceived vulnerability to changing economic fortunes has prompted a master planning approach which is intended to bring together a mixed-use development programme with particular attention to urban design, strategic environmental assessment and public consultation. In different ways, this process has sought to raise public awareness of the issues and risks associated with the town's coastal location and to integrate flood defence aspects within the strategic regeneration plan as part of a greater sensitivity to climatic risks and potential flooding. This paper examines the adaptive capacity of coastal communities and the complex of socio-economic and spatio-temporal perspectives that shape policy developments in the planning, development and proactive management of coastal environments. The paper identifies the need to accommodate a new civic awareness of potential environmental hazards in articulating the public interest and balancing the trade-offs involved.