No coastal justice without environmental justice: a systematic literature review of climate and coasts

As the ocean warms, sea levels rise, and coastlines change, there has been a growing interest in environmental justice and climate justice on the coast. Here we conduct a systematic literature review on how coastal hazards are impacting marginalized populations around the world. Our analysis reveals a focus on both long-term phenomena such as sea-level rise and extreme acute events like storms or hurricanes. We found that environmental and climate justice literature about coastal hazards has increased in recent years with most papers focused on U.S. coastal areas. A majority of the papers described low-income communities and economic vulnerabilities, however, the solutions presented in the papers primarily focus on increasing researcher awareness of environmental and climate justice and promoting increased engagement with marginalized communities. Additionally, a majority of the papers rely on mapping census data for their analysis rather than more qualitative methods. Overall, 63 percent of the papers reviewed determined that the most vulnerable populations are also the most at risk to coastal hazards, but there was a dearth of information on the historical causes of this phenomenon. Only 42 percent of the papers mention the systems of historical or systemic oppression, such as segregation, redlining, or colonialism, that have led to marginalized populations experiencing greater levels of exposure. Finally, we suggest policy implications for addressing injustices and recommendations for policymakers and coastal hazards researchers writing about environmental justice.

Graphical Abstract

Created by Vermouth Li