Rapid Site Selection to Prioritize Coastal Seascapes for Nature-Based Solutions With Multiple Benefits

Abstract

Coastal seascapes are productive and diverse land-sea systems that provide many valuable benefits yet are increasingly threatened by human activity. Scaling up of nature-based solutions (NbS) to effectively protect, sustainably manage, and restore coastal seascapes is urgently required for mitigation of climate change and biodiversity loss while also providing socio-economic benefits. Evidence-based site selection is an important first step to improve the outcomes and avoid negative impacts when prioritizing NbS investments at national level. We developed a spatially explicit, integrative and culturally relevant ecosystem-based site selection process to identify a portfolio of seascapes for NbS consideration in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The primary goal was to rank planning units based on potential for climate change mitigation action, positive impact to biodiversity and socio-economic benefits to people. The multi-criteria site-selection framework provided a rapid, transparent, repeatable and scalable tool. The highest weightings were assigned to blue carbon storage value, biodiversity conservation features, and local stakeholder preferred areas. Spatial proxies for benefits to people were represented by population density and accessibility to coastal seascapes, relative tourism and recreation potential, and importance of fish habitat and fishing grounds for food security. Participatory mapping of local knowledge and review of existing data ensured that both qualitative and quantitative criteria were reliable, up-to-date and locally relevant. Two distinct clusters of high suitability planning units were identified in the Abu Dhabi region and four along the north-western coast of the UAE. Most high suitability sites were located outside of existing marine protected areas. Alternative spatial scenarios without stakeholder bias underscored the suitability of sites identified through participatory mapping and highlighted additional priority sites for future scaling-up of NbS. A spatial corridor of medium and high suitability planning units across the region offers potential for designing well-connected NbS investments to accelerate and boost synergistic outcomes and increase resilience. The site selection framework provides a rapid tool that integrates local and global open access data at a range of scales with great potential for transferability to other regions worldwide.

A Systematic Review and Global Trends on Blue Carbon and Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Study from 2012 to 2023

“…A wide range of topics are discussed in these articles, ranging from ocean carbon cycles to ecosystem health. One article was published in 2015 [69], another in 2016 [100], one in 2019 [101], one in 2021 [102], one in 2023 [103] and the remaining eight in 2022 [104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111]. Frontiers in Marine Science has contributed to the field at various times, which is essential to its continued growth.…”

Link marine restoration to marine spatial planning through ecosystem‐based management to maximize ocean regeneration

“…Although there may be considerable uncertainty about how quickly full recovery of ES can be accomplished, ES studies can be used within a restoration‐focused EB‐MSP framework to guide the achievement of conservation and related human well‐being. When spatial multi‐criteria decision frameworks are applied to prioritize and select sites to be restored, planning interventions have the potential to enhance ES delivery and catalyse positive biodiversity and socio‐economic outcomes (Pittman et al, 2022).…”

“…quickly full recovery of ES can be accomplished, ES studies can be used within a restoration-focused EB-MSP framework to guide the achievement of conservation and related human well-being. When spatial multi-criteria decision frameworks are applied to prioritize and select sites to be restored, planning interventions have the potential to enhance ES delivery and catalyse positive biodiversity and socioeconomic outcomes(Pittman et al, 2022).Operationalizing the ES approach to serve restoration-focused EB-MSP may require targeted ES assessments to ascertain conditions prior to ecosystem degradation in order to provide baseline information. ES assessment helps set thresholds, identify baseline conditions and guide restoration to meet established targets.…”

Identifying priority areas for tidal wetland restoration by integrating ecosystem services supply and demand mismatches

“…Coastal lowlands are frequently exposed to climate changerelated risks (e.g., storm flooding), which evokes the need to explore new solutions for maintaining human well-being (Temmerman et al, 2013;Pittman et al, 2022). Healthy tidal wetlands can provide various valuable ecosystem services (ES) in a sustainable manner (e.g., coastal protection service; Liquete et al, 2013a;Temmerman and Kirwan, 2015;Zhu et al, 2020).…”

“…Studies applying SCP to the spatial planning of coastal ecosystem restoration have been conducted (e.g., Adame et al, 2014;Gilby et al, 2021), but they deserve improvement in at least two aspects. First, few studies have incorporated social and economic costs into the spatial planning of coastal restoration actions (Pittman et al, 2022;Su et al, 2022). For example, Adame et al (2014) used a uniform indicator to represent the cost of hydrological restoration and afforestation.…”