Lack of public support for coastal adaptation can present significant barriers for implementation. Building public support for coastal adaptation first requires a deeper understanding of peoples’ preferences for coastal adaptation and what motives those preferences.

Research on perceptions of coastal adaptation have been steadily increasing in the fourteen-year period covered in the review. Research emphasis has been on public views of managed retreat, and developed country contexts.

• Hard protection options were often the most frequently preferred, due to a desire to maintain current shoreline, to protect recreational spaces and private property, and perceived effectiveness.
• Retreat options were the least preferred, often due to strong place attachment.
• Twenty-eight factors influencing preferences were identified, including risk perception, place attachment, and financial considerations.

A systematic literature review was conducted to understand preferences for coastal adaptation options and the factors influencing these preferences. Ninety peer-reviewed publications consisting of 121 case studies from the years 2007 and 2020 were reviewed. A questionnaire was applied to record types of adaptation studied, findings on public preference, and details on the potential factors influencing preference for each empirical case study.

For practitioners aiming to implement coastal adaptation, the findings suggest potential leverage points in which the option has more positive sentiment; for example, restricting future development in at-risk areas. Recognizing that each case is context-specific, and that any considerations of preferences should occur on a local scale, planners and policy makers should consider local preferences (what) and the factors influencing preferences (why). This will foster policy that respects the values of communities and supports communication with diverse audiences.

The full paper is available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8594 

Citation: Mallette, A.; Smith, T.F.; Elrick-Barr, C.; Blythe, J.; & Plummer, R. 2021. Understanding Preferences for Coastal Climate Change Adaptation: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability, 13(15):8594. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158594

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This research was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council Discovery Projects Funding Scheme (Project FT180100652). This work contributes to Future Earth Coasts, a Global Research Project of Future Earth. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government, Australian Research Council or Future Earth Coasts