Search Results (147)

Tourism development in coastal zones is often guided by marketing strategies focused on promotion, without real integration with the ecological, identity, and planning challenges facing these territories. This disconnection compromises environmental resilience, dilutes local cultural identity, and hinders adaptive governance in contexts of increasing tourism pressure and climate change. In response to this problem, the article presents the concept of Blue Marketing, a place-based, sustainability-oriented approach designed to guide communication, product development, and governance in marine and coastal destinations. Drawing on socio-environmental marketing and inspired by Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), the study proposes a Blue Marketing Decalogue (BMD), structured into three thematic blocks: (1) Ecosystem-focused sustainability, (2) cultural identity and territorial uniqueness, and (3) strategic planning and adaptive governance. Methodologically, the decalogue is empirically grounded in a territorial diagnosis of the Barbate–Vejer coastal corridor (Cádiz, Spain), developed through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), local planning documents, and field observations. This case study provides a detailed analysis of ecological vulnerabilities, cultural resources, and tourism dynamics, offering strategic insights transferable to other coastal contexts. The BMD incorporates both strategic and normative instruments that support the design of responsible tourism communication strategies, aligned with environmental preservation, community identity, and long-term planning. This contribution enriches current debates on sustainable tourism governance and provides practical tools for coastal destinations aiming to balance competitiveness with ecological responsibility. Ultimately, Blue Marketing is proposed as a vector for transformation, capable of reconnecting tourism promotion with the sustainability challenges and opportunities of coastal regions. Full article

A vital step for any hydrochemical assessment is properly carrying out quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) techniques to evaluate data confidence before performing the assessment. Understanding the processes governing groundwater evolution in coastal aquifers is critical for managing freshwater resources under increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures. This study reassesses the hydrochemical and isotopic data from the Deep Confined Aquifer System (DCAS) in the Jiangsu Coastal Plain, China, by firstly applying QA/QC protocols. Anomalously high Fe and Mn concentrations in several samples were identified and excluded, yielding a refined dataset that enabled a more accurate interpretation of hydrogeochemical processes. Using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and stable and radioactive isotope data (δ²H, δ¹⁸O, ³H, and ¹⁴C), we identify three dominant drivers of groundwater evolution: water–rock interaction, evaporation, and seawater intrusion. In contrast to earlier interpretations, we present clear evidence of active seawater intrusion into the DCAS, supported by salinity patterns, isotopic signatures, and local hydrodynamics. Furthermore, inconsistencies between tritium- and radiocarbon-derived residence times—modern recharge indicated by ³H versus Pleistocene ages from ¹⁴C—highlight the unreliability of previous paleoclimatic reconstructions based on unvalidated datasets. These findings underscore the crucial role of robust QA/QC and integrated tracer analysis in groundwater studies. Full article

Nuclear accident-derived radionuclide dispersion poses critical challenges to marine ecological sustainability and human–ocean interdependence. While existing studies focus on hydrodynamic modeling of pollutant transport, the link between nuclear safety and sustainable ocean governance remains underexplored. This study investigates radionuclide diffusion patterns in semi-enclosed bays using a high-resolution coupled hydrodynamic particle-tracking model, explicitly addressing threats to marine ecosystem stability and coastal socioeconomic resilience. Simulations revealed that tidal oscillations and topographic constraints prolong pollutant retention by 40% compared to open seas, elevating local concentration peaks by 2–3× and intensifying bioaccumulation risks in benthic organisms. These findings directly inform sustainable marine resource management: the identified high-risk zones enable targeted monitoring of fishery resources, while diffusion pathways guide coastal zoning policies to decouple economic activities from contamination hotspots. Compared to Fukushima’s open-ocean dispersion models, our framework uniquely quantifies how semi-enclosed geomorphology exacerbates localized ecological degradation, providing actionable metrics for balancing nuclear energy development with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 14 and 3. By integrating hydrodynamic specificity with ecosystem vulnerability thresholds, this work advances science-based protocols for sustainable nuclear facility siting and marine spatial planning. Full article

This study explores the dynamics of marketing agricultural products in the coastal regions of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, through an analysis of existing literature and empirical data collected from selected participants to model farmers’ marketing experiences and identifies an improvement pathway. This study aims to enhance the understanding of the factors that inhibit and enable the marketability of coastal agricultural products. Employing a causal relationship research methodology, this paper reviewed the current situation through a bottom-up approach, providing valuable insights for policymakers, interventionists, researchers, and practitioners who aim to support rural coastal agricultural growth and livelihood enhancement in the Eastern Cape. Data were collected from 215 participants from the sample of 4212 registered coastal small-scale farms in the Eastern Cape through a multi-staged sampling procedure. The findings through Path analysis empirically revealed that technological resources, efficient supply chain systems, supportive government policies, and unlimited market access significantly enhance the marketability of coastal agricultural products. The study recommends addressing challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, stringent regulatory requirements, and the effects of climate change, which is essential for advancing the marketability of coastal agricultural products. Full article

This paper presents an adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable framework for the protection design and development of Bajo community living spaces in Indonesian waters, inspired by the Funaya model in Japan. The framework was developed using the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) method, integrating the principles of Rights, Restrictions, and Responsibilities (RRRs) to address challenges in coastal management, cultural preservation, and economic sustainability. Key strategies include a protection design based on zonation and space, the application of the principles of RRRs, and the adaptation of the Funaya model. This approach emphasizes participatory governance, legal certainty, and community empowerment through training and incentives. The Funaya adaptation integrates the preservation of traditional houses and tourism development to enhance cultural and economic resilience. While its implementation requires significant resources, the expected benefits include environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and improved livelihoods for the Bajo people. This framework may serve as a replicable model for integrated coastal management across Indonesia. Full article

In recognition of the declining state of biodiversity, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, signed in late 2022, committed countries to the protection of 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial and inland water areas and coastal and marine areas by 2030. Australia has committed to this target at a national level. The majority of public protected areas (e.g., national parks) in Australia are designated and managed by state and territory governments. The state of Victoria in southeastern Australia has a long history of regional assessments of public land to balance conservation (such as the declaration of protected areas), production of natural resources (e.g., timber harvesting, mineral extraction), and recreation, amongst other uses. The decision to phase out native forest timber harvesting on public land in Victoria presents the greatest opportunity in the state’s history to meet its statewide commitments, national commitments, and international targets, by establishing a comprehensive, adequate, and representative protected area system. We critique Victoria’s reliance on non-binding protections, such as Special Protection Zones in state forests over recent decades, and outline the principles and rationale for the expansion of the protected area system in state forests, recognizing that protected areas are part of a broader suite of future land uses for these public forests. Full article

Understanding environmental governance empowers researchers and practitioners alike to work towards solutions that improve both environmental and human well-being outcomes. Collaborative, iterative approaches to governance use bridging approaches such as translational ecology, boundary work, and ecosystem services. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development worked with a variety of collaborators to implement six multi-year coordinated case study research projects. The research projects were designed to support agency collaborators spanning different geographies, ecosystems, and environmental management decision contexts, and to demonstrate that different tools, approaches, and ecosystem service foci can enhance coastal and other water resource sustainability. To better understand the iterative and collaborative nature of the cases and collaborations, researchers conducted an analysis of the comparative case studies based on Williams’ (2018) and Ostrom’s (1994, 2009) frameworks. The team identified (1) who participated in the processes; (2) what the programs and goals were; (3) where programs worked and their resources; and (4) the resulting outcomes. We demonstrate that stakeholder participation and outcomes look different within different projects, and we conclude that relationships, focus on place, and common goals produce the most impactful results. Full article

Information consumption has been reshaping the modes of human living and production, and driving the transformation of production and trade activities traditionally dependent on land resources, thus influencing urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE). Based on the panel data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2023, this study employs the national Information Consumption Pilot Policy (ICPP) as a quasi-natural experiment and utilizes a double machine learning model to assess the ICPP’s impacts on ULGUE. According to the results of the causal mediating effect analysis, the ICPP has improved ULGUE through three mediating mechanisms: expanding the scale of digital transactions, nurturing future industrial developments, and promoting green consumption behaviors. Moreover, in light of the results of the heterogeneity analysis, the ICPP’s impacts on ULGUE vary significantly. Such variation can primarily be attributed to differences in urban resource endowments, disparities in transportation infrastructure development, and variations in geographical location. Specifically, the ICPP has produced more prominent impacts on enhancing land green use efficiency in resource-based cities, cities with high-speed rail access, and coastal cities. Therefore, the government should proactively establish an urban information consumption environment, enhance the role of digital transactions, strategize future industrial developments, encourage green consumption behaviors, and differentiate local policies to effectively promote the continuous improvement of ULGUE. Full article

This study focuses on the green economic growth of marine fisheries and explores the relationship among environmental regulations (ERs), industrial structure (INS), and the green total factor productivity of marine fisheries (MGTFP). Against the backdrop of global climate change and increasing pressure on resources and the environment, a green fisheries economy has become key to achieving sustainable development. This study selects panel data from 11 coastal provinces and municipalities in China spanning from 2014 to 2023 and, through quantitative analysis, evaluates the implementation effects of ER policies on marine fisheries’ production methods, INS, and MGTFP. When measuring the MGTFP, this study innovatively incorporates fishery disaster economic losses as an undesirable output and employs the super-efficiency SBM-GML model for precise calculation. The results of the study showed that ERs was able to promote the increase in MGTFP, and the effect of REC was stronger. The mediating effect model suggests that industry structure mediates this process. The results of threshold effect analysis show that both ERC and ERM exhibit significant single-threshold effects. This study aims to provide empirical support and policy recommendations for the government to formulate more effective environmental protection policies and promote the transformation and upgrading of the marine fisheries sector, thereby fostering the green development of China’s marine fisheries. Full article

Climate-induced migration has emerged as a major concern in India and Bangladesh, due to their geographical vulnerability and socioeconomic conditions. Coastal areas, such as the Sundarbans and the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta, face relentless threats due to rising sea levels, cyclones, and floods. These factors force millions to relocate, resulting in rural–urban transitions and cross-border movements that worsen urban challenges and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. For this, a systematic literature review of the Scopus database was undertaken using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A detailed review analysis of 65 papers was carried out. The study highlighted key climatic and non-climatic drivers of migration, including natural disasters, resource depletion, poverty, and poor governance. Despite existing adaptation strategies, such as early warning systems, micro-insurance, and climate-resilient practices, gaps remain in addressing long-term resilience and legal recognition for climate migrants. The research emphasizes the need for a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach, integrating adaptive infrastructure, sustainable livelihoods, and international cooperation. Recommendations include bridging research gaps, increasing community participation, and implementing global frameworks, like the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. Addressing climate migration through fair, inclusive measures is essential for building resilience and ensuring long-term development in the region. Full article

In December 2022, 196 countries adopted the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Global Biodiversity Framework outlines four ambitious global goals and 23 targets for the world to address the loss of biodiversity and the more sustainable use of natural resources. One of those targets—Target 3—commits to achieving the protection of at least 30% of terrestrial and inland water areas and of marine and coastal areas by 2030 (the “30 × 30 protection target”). This is one of the largest conservation commitments that countries around the world have made. Prior to the signing of the Global Biodiversity Framework, a survey of residents in seven countries (Australia, Barbados, Colombia, Germany, Kenya, Mongolia, and the USA) was conducted to understand their level of awareness and gauge their support for the 30 × 30 protection target. In the seven countries surveyed in late 2022, a strong majority of respondents in each country rated the target favorably and were likely to support their government making commitments on it. This survey is the only multi-country pre-Global Biodiversity Framework survey and provides a useful baseline to track changes in opinion on 30 × 30 over time. Full article

This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution of carbon emissions and the decoupling relationship between emissions and innovation-driven urban development in six coastal provinces and municipalities in China from 2008 to 2022. The main questions of this paper are as follows: What are the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of carbon emissions in the study area? What is the decoupling relationship between carbon emissions and innovation-driven urban development? What key variables contribute significantly to carbon emissions and urban development? Carbon emissions increased overall, with higher levels in northern regions such as Shandong, northern Jiangsu, and the Yangtze River Delta. Meanwhile, innovation levels rose but disparities widened, with northern cities leading and those in western Fujian and Guangdong lagging behind. The green economy and industrial transformation were key drivers of rapid development in some cities. To identify the driving factors, the SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) model was employed to quantify the contributions of key variables, including energy structure, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading, to both carbon emissions and urban development. This study found that decoupling between carbon emissions and smart city development improved, transitioning from negative to strong decoupling, particularly in coastal cities. These insights can assist governments in formulating sustainable development strategies. High-emission cities should focus on integrating low-emission measures to mitigate their carbon footprint. High-carbon cities need to transition to low-carbon pathways, enhancing resource efficiency and reducing emissions. Low-emission cities should prioritize improving carbon sinks. Cities with weak economies but rich ecological resources should develop tertiary and ecological economies. Developed cities should optimize resource allocation, digitize industries, and pursue low-carbon growth. Additionally, adjustments in transportation and industry can further boost innovation and urbanization. Full article

Among the frequent natural disasters, there is a growing concern that storm surges may cause enhanced damage to coastal regions due to the increase in climate extremes. It is widely believed that storm surge risk assessment is of great significance for effective disaster prevention; however, traditional risk assessment often relies on the land use data from the government or manual interpretation, which requires a great amount of material resources, labor and time. To improve efficiency, this study proposes a framework for conducting fast risk assessment in a chosen area based on social sensing data and a deep learning method. The coupled Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) and Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model are applied for simulating inundation of five storm surge scenarios. Social sensing data are generated by fusing POI kernel density and night light data through wavelet transform. Subsequently, the Swin Transformer model receives two sets of inputs: one includes social sensing data, Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) and Normalized Difference Chlorophyll Index (NDCI), and the other is Red, Green, Blue bands. The ensembled model can be used for fast land use identification for vulnerability assessment, and the accuracy is improved by 3.3% compared to the traditional RGB input. In contrast to traditional risk assessment approaches, the proposed method can conduct emergency risk assessments within a few hours. In the coast area of Huizhou city, the area considered to be at risk is 135 km², 89 km², 82 km², 72 km² and 64 km², respectively, when the central pressure of the typhoon is 880, 910, 920, 930 and 940 hpa. The Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone and central Huangpu waterfront are two areas at high risk. The conducted risk maps can help decision-makers better manage storm surge risks to identify areas at potential risk, prepare for disaster prevention and mitigation. Full article

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been implemented for over a decade; however, research on its impact on China’s transport sector remains relatively scarce. It is imperative to investigate whether the BRI has greatly enhanced the growth of Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) in the transport sector across provinces along its route because the logistics hub is crucial for sustainable land development of the local economy. To address this missing link, this study examined the GTFP of the transport sector in cities along the BRI by employing the global Luenberger nonradial directional distance function (GLNDDF). Subsequently, a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model was applied to evaluate the policy impact of the BRI on the regional GTFP of the transport sector. The key results of this study were as follows: (1) our empirical findings indicated that the BRI has a statistically significant, yet very weak governance of the GTFP of the transportation sector, with an average increase of 0.0265 units in total factor productivity, implying that the direction of the BRI seems right, but much stronger governance is needed for differentiated city planning; (2) the BRI has two wings in its implementation policies and regulatory and promotional policies. In this study, active environmental regulation may have a more substantial impact than promotional policies, implying that oversupply issues arising from financial promotions along the BRI routes should be avoided for city planning, even with its political importance. (3) There are notable regional variations, with the policy effect being relatively weak in the central region, implying that the grand industrial transition from the east coastal cities to the western region should be cautiously harmonized between market demand and infrastructure-oriented government-led policies. These findings provide valuable insights into urban environments, city planning, and urban–rural interactions, emphasizing the importance of land-related tradeoffs in resource management to foster sustainable governance in developing countries. Full article

This study proposes developing a resilient machine learning algorithm based on neural networks to classify naval images used in surveillance, search, and detection operations in vast coastal and marine environments. Coastal areas critical for water resource management often face challenges such as illegal fishing, trafficking, piracy, and other illicit activities that require robust monitoring systems powered by computer vision. However, real-world datasets in such environments can be compromised by label noise due to random inaccuracies or deliberate adversarial attacks, leading to decreased accuracy in machine learning models. Our innovative approach employs Rockafellian Risk Minimization (RRM) to mitigate the impact of label noise contamination, crucial to maintaining data integrity in water-related security and governance operations. Unlike existing methodologies that rely on extensively cleaned datasets, our two-step process adjusts neural network weights and manipulates nominal probabilities of data points to isolate potential data corruption effectively. This technique reduces dependence on meticulous data cleaning, thereby increasing data processing efficiency in water resources and coastal management. To validate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed model, we apply RRM in various parameter settings to datasets specific to naval environments and evaluate its classification accuracy against traditional methods. By leveraging the proposed model, we aim to reinforce the robustness of ship detection models, ultimately contributing to developing more reliable automated maritime surveillance systems. Such systems are essential for strengthening governance, security, and water management and curbing illegal activities at sea. Full article