From ocean observations to climate action plans: bridging science and governance for coastal adaptation in the Canary Islands

Islands are especially susceptible to climate change and thus the policy of adaptation must be considered within the systemic perspective in order to work against the effects in the environment, society, and economy. In the Canary Islands, rising sea levels could have important effects to coastal environments such as beaches, dunes, and wetlands, but also to critical infrastructure, homes, and tourism-related economies.

This work provides the first comprehensive evaluation of coastal management in the Canary Islands with respect to sea-level rise, carried out by an interdisciplinary scientific group that cover oceanographers, geographers, and public policy and administration. We analyse existing climate-change legislation and regulatory instruments through a socio-ecological systems lens, focusing on (i) the intentionality of adaptation, that is, the treatment of risk, time, and collective responsibility, and (ii) the substance of adaptation policies, that is, the actions, time scales, and implementation structures that emerge. We will identify the configurations of policy events that shape the emerging network of coastal management for sea-level rise.

The results show the existence of discrepancies between legal systems and implementation. Adaptation actions are often strategic but vague in terms of timelines, responsibilities, and legal tools in line with the current climate emergency. The lack of coordination between institutions is an important factor in adaptive management, causing overlaps, contradictions, and delays in very time-sensitive areas like coastal zones. The proposed solutions address the improvement of institution-level collaborations.

In addition to the Canary Islands, a transferable solution has been identified through which multidisciplinary data on the environment and social science approaches to governance can be employed to foster more sustainable climate action plans.