Publications
Following publications have been announced by our department Human Dimensions of Coastal Areas. For further information please contact the marked co-authors of the publications:
Evans, K., Cormier, R., Dunstan, P., Fulton, E., Schmidt, J., Simcock, A., Stelzenmüller, V., Thanh Vu, C., & Woolley, S. (2021): Cumulative Effects. In: Second World Ocean Assessment, Chapter 25, Volume II, pp. 395–413. Ed. by United Nations. United Nations, New York
Keynote points:
- Increasing pressures on marine environ-ments from multiple sources are resulting in biodiversity loss, habitat damage and fragmentation and disease.
- Effective implementation of ecosystem- based management requires an appreci-ation of how, and to what extent, human activities and natural events interact and affect different ecosystem components and their functioning. It also requires the identification of solutions to prevent and mitigate the pressures being caused by those interactions.
- Over the past two decades, many frame-works for assessing the interactions, known as cumulative effects, have been developed. They have used differing ap-proaches and terminologies and have been applied at differing levels.
- Although approaches vary, cumulative effects assessments (CEAs) conducted to date have mostly involved three main steps: (a) collation of information on the intensity and footprint of activities that may be affecting marine ecosystems; (b) identification of the responses of eco-system components; and (c) identification of management measures that could be applied in response.
- Despite their increase in use, assessments focused on particular regions, areas or values that follow the same general steps outlined above are largely lacking from areas outside Europe and North America.
- The geographical bias in the implementa-tion of CEAs highlights clear knowledge and capacity gaps and the need for the development of approaches that: (a) can be implemented in regions where data are sparse; (b) are easily implementable; and (c) produce outputs that can be readily understood and are translatable to deci-sion-making processes, in particular in developing countries.
David, C.G., Hennig, A., Ratter, B.M.W., Roeber, V., Zahid, & Schlurmann, T. (2021): Considering socio-political framings when analyzing coastal climate change effects can prevent maldevelopment on small islands. Nat Commun 12, 5882, doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26082-5
Abstract:
Adapting to climate change and sea level rise is challenging on small islands. False adaptation can lead to adverse impacts on natural and societal dynamics. Therefore, an interdisciplinary perspective on the interaction of natural dynamics, societal demands, and political decisions is crucial. In this sense, this study scrutinizes coastal processes and socio-political dimensions of erosion on the reef island Fuvahmulah, the Maldives. The national government and Fuvahmulah’s population have an opposed perception and attribution of the drivers and processes behind Fuvahmulah’s most pressing coastal issue – coastal erosion. To review these perceptions, natural dynamics are recreated with process-based methods and discussed regarding present and projected marine pressures. Population surveys and interviews with actors in coastal development complement the physical insights into erosion on Fuvahmulah and describe the socio-political dimension of climate change adaptation on small islands. This interdisciplinary approach demonstrates how small-islands’ adaptive capacities are typically impaired and disclose the potential of local knowledge to overcome maldevelopment.
