Driving Change: User Engagement and Governance in Climate Adaptation for Coastal Destinations

This study investigates climate challenges at national level focusing mainly in two prominent coastal destinations, Costa Daurada and Terres de l'Ebre, situated in Catalonia (northeastern Spain), within the southeastern Mediterranean region. With the urgency to bolster societal resilience to climate hazards and manage risks in these Mediterranean locales, adapting tourist destinations to climate change and mitigating associated risks demand a comprehensive understanding of behavioral change factors affecting businesses, citizens, tourists, and administration.

Central to the climate adaptation strategy for the tourism sector is access to high-quality Climate Services tailored to end-users' needs. These services function as decision-making tools, offer incentives for social benefits, and communicate effectively, as highlighted by Scott et al. (2011). The Horizon2020 Impetus project, commenced in October 2021, aligns with the EU's 2050 climate goals, translating commitments into actionable steps for community and planetary protection.

Focusing on achieving climate-resilient tourism and implementing the Catalan Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (ESCACC30) in the tourism sector, the project seeks a fundamental behavioral shift. Recognizing the pivotal role of Behavioral Change, the strategy adopts a problem-solving approach based on Michie et al.'s (2013) taxonomy, meticulously examining factors impacting behavioral change, devising strategies to overcome challenges, and enhancing change facilitators, while also incorporating measures to prevent setbacks and address climate change consequences.

Inspired by Font et al.'s (2021) methodology, the co-creation process involved public and private stakeholders from Costa Daurada and Terres de l'Ebre actively participating in workshops. These workshops focused on themes such as weather, climate change, tourism, energy, water, and the perception of the beach-dune system. Through this collaborative effort, stakeholders developed indicators shedding light on the climatic potential for various tourism modalities, identifying physical impacts of climate change affecting the attractiveness and vulnerability of the tourist destinations.

Proposed measures related to water and energy were classified based on priority and vulnerability. Additionally, the repeat photography method was employed to gather data on citizens' awareness of temporal changes in the beach-dune system within the study area. This approach also provided insights into their perceptions regarding the roles and landscape of the beaches and dunes, ultimately contributing to the development of climate co-created indicators essential for effective climate adaptation in these Mediterranean coastal destinations.