Co-developing Nature-based Solutions for Coastal Resilience: A Case Study from Refugio County, Texas

Rural coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related hazards but often face barriers to implementing resilience strategies due to limited capacity, fragmented governance, and lack of tailored engagement approaches. This study presents a case from Refugio County, Texas, where a participatory action research (PAR) approach was used to co-develop Nature-based Solutions (NbS) with local stakeholders. Through transdisciplinary collaborations including community workshops, a bilingual public survey, and advisory group convenings, the project engaged residents, youth, local officials, and technical experts to identify key vulnerabilities, such as shoreline erosion, flooding, and degraded public outdoor spaces, and prioritized NbS projects that aligned with local values around safety, recreation, and habitat. The Black Point Living Shoreline emerged as the community’s top project, combining coastal protection with public access and ecological restoration. Barriers such as fragmented land ownership, short-term funding cycles, and limited rural staffing were addressed through enabling conditions like strong community leadership, supportive land context, and transdisciplinary collaboration. This paper documents key outcomes of the process, including enhanced community ownership, alignment with state planning frameworks, and strengthened local capacity for future implementation. Lessons from this case highlight the importance of long-term trust-building, tailored communication, and place-based strategies for co-producing actionable resilience solutions in low-capacity, high-risk settings. This project offers a replicable process model for empowering rural communities to lead their NbS planning and climate adaptation efforts.